Once Upon a Dream
by SailorSaiyan93
Summary: Retelling of Mega Dreams. Dr. Wily's newest scheme involving people's dreams becomes even more complicated as his antics have gotten the attention of someone not of this world. Someone that develops an interest in Mega Man and wishes to truly see if he lives up to his reputation. And this time, it may be more than his life that's on the line. R&R please! Thank you!
1. I Know You

**Note: Ok, so this requires a little explaining. First thing's first, this was initially written after part 2 of Episode 7 of Missing Episodes was uploaded, as well as the two chapters that follow. Second, currently as this author's note is being written (1/2/19), I've been under the horrid cloud that is mononucleosis and it's been quite a sucker of motivation and general good feelings. Third, also currently (1/2/19), my subscription to Microsoft Office just died, so I'm currently using Google Docs to even write this. And fourth, I'm considering making little previews for this on my DA account, and perhaps (perhaps being the key word here) experimenting with a short comic based off the story, but seeing as chapters can get more material covered than a comic page, this is definitely coming first.**

 **With that out of the way, I perhaps should also explain how this thing even came to be. Simply put, it wasn't any grand or spectacular revelation. Rather, it looked like this:**

 **Mega Man had a cartoon.**

 **Darkstalkers had a cartoon.**

 **Both are very flawed, but the former is definitely the better of the two.**

 **Mega Man had an episode focusing on dreams that was crazy.**

 **Darkstalkers has a character that perhaps would fit in the setting.**

 **Plot Bunny born.**

 **Wait months, now nearly a year, as I'm doing other things.**

 **Will not let me rest until I succumb to its will.**

 **Thankfully though, given this is a smaller scaled story, I'm allowing myself to write shorter chapters, in that they don't extend past 10,000+ words. And whilst some language might be a bit colorful for a TV-7 rated program, unlike Missing Episodes, there won't be any full on cursing. Suggestive themes in some places, yeah, but nothing too raunchy. Also, characterization of some Robot Masters are based more in vein with my other fic.**

 **Will all that out of the way, we should probably get started. Behold, this annoyingly persistent nugget that finally gets its chance to be free!**

 **Chapter 1: I Know You**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

A light, fluttering breeze.

That's all he registered in his half-awakened mind, his worn down, exhausted form nestled underneath his silk sheets.

To be honest, it was rather pleasant. Slightly warm, yet should it get too warm for his liking, he could simply adjust by lifting the covers off himself, allowing the summer's night air to wisp and caress against his oh so tired body.

But in that, in suddenly hit him.

He had closed the window beforehand. Not even that, he had outright locked it.

This realization had forced away any and all calm and soothing thoughts from his mind, the middle-aged human man beginning to lift himself up to a sitting position, allowing the non-awake part of himself to catch up to the half still aware and at the ready. Mayor Parson's brown eyes squinted somewhat in the darkness of his bedroom, his eyesight not exactly getting any better as the years went along. Yet what he could identify was the unmistakable sight of curtains dancing and billowing, helpless against the natural force making them sway and dip with it.

"What the…?" he moaned lightly, forcing himself up and out of his king-sized bed and walking to the left side of the room.

His eyes did not deceive him. The window HAD indeed been opened. And even more, as he could see, the hook keeping the panes together had come undone. While the Mayor had somewhat of a reputation in being an overly panicked, jittery man, he found that instead of fear, confusion only seemed to come to him. True, an open window, at least to him, was a cause for alarm, as it was probably indicative of someone having up and broken into his home, and while such a possibility didn't completely exit his mind, he couldn't deny that there were a handful of elements in it that didn't add up.

For one, the window was on the second story of the house, and from what he could see outside, there was no ladder or anything of the sort to allow access up here, let alone any signs of trespassing in the yard or shrubbery below. The streets were just as quiet and inactive as when he had turned in for the night, perhaps even more so, given how it'd be some time still before dawn broke. Two, if it had been a home invasion of some kind, surely there'd be some sort of noise. Mayor Parson wasn't exactly a light sleeper per say, yet surely he would've heard something like that, or at least the alarm going off due to such an intrusion. The alarm hadn't been tripped at all, and from the looks of it, the hitch had just been lifted up, not broken off. It was too calm an entrance for a burglar of any kind. Far too calm…as well as nearly impossible. Not to mention that no objects had been knocked over or out of their former positions. The table with his faux fruit bowl still stood, wax replicas of food still in the same places as before. Neither had the picture displaying a portrait of his dear late wife been stirred. The grandfather clock right beside it continued to tick and swing its pendulum back and forth, its long, dark shadow casting down and trailing along the floor.

Still, the fact remained: the window had been opened when he knew that it had been closed and locked before.

Yet there was also the fact that, despite this strange happening, the Mayor was a busy man. A busy, and right now, very tired man. A man that needed at least something of a half-way decent night's sleep.

So, with little else to find, let alone conclude with such little evidence pointing towards any definite conclusion, the aged man simply closed the window and locked it once again, heading back to his bed and draping the smooth sheets over him, his eyes shutting as his body began to once again ease its way into sweet repose.

Just as she had wanted.

The natural shadows cast in the darkened room had been ever present and unchanging, not to mention just as still as he had last saw them, so Mayor Parson had no reason of suspecting anything about them being out of the ordinary. Besides, it wasn't as if a home invader could hide themselves in the very shadows or walls.

If only he had known.

The grandfather clock's shadow, once present but without much of a defined form, had slowly began to darken even further, the space in the centermost portion of the shadow growing to that of pitch black. And that portion had suddenly begun to stretch and twist, steadily growing more solid and concrete until it had finally resembled something of a humanoid shape. Feminine, yet well built and toned. Long haired, with a slender jaw and a well-shaped nose.

And, as it could be seen when she lifted her eyelids to observe the other occupant of the room, pale, icy blue orbs rivaling that of glistening crystal for eyes.

The formed shadow separated herself from the one it had previously hidden away in, easing her way across the room with soft, gentle steps that made the most minimal of sound, long, slender fingers tracing their way across the smooth material of the sheets as she worked her way around the bed, stopping at the head where the human male rested his head upon the pillow.

Perfect.

He was far from one she'd normally deem worthy to provide her with sustenance, yet the only time she'd get an opportunity to go out was before dinner tonight. And given that dinner would surely have passed by the time she went back, she ultimately decided that a half-decent meal was better than no meal at all. Besides, older men were always easy.

SCREECH!

Hm!? What in all of Makai's levels…

Thankfully her prey hadn't been made aware that his abode had a visitor parking right outside the gate. Peering out of the window just enough to where she wouldn't reveal herself, her icy blue eyes saw a moderately sized vehicle, a van of some sort, stationed outside of the Mayor's house, a large, satellite-like device attached to the roof.

Given her own origins, let alone her natural homeland, such a thing wasn't exactly extraordinary to her, she had seen and experienced far stranger in the span of her existence. But then, her eyes spotted something she did not anticipate.

From the satellite, an orb of bright, violet light was formed, it detaching from the machine that bore it, and flying through the glass of the left window. The very same window she had previously made her entrance through. The orb made its way towards the slumbering Mayor and entered into his forehead, the man in turn beginning to toss and turn, as if in the midst of a dream.

"Mommy?" he murmured, his voice uncertain and somewhat frightened, as if he were some young child. "Daddy?"

Now THIS, she hadn't seen before. And it also dawned on her that she had no idea what exactly was going on. From what she had seen, the orb had gone and entered into the human's head. Into his mind.

Perhaps, she thought, her hand extending to lightly touch the man's forehead, now covered in beats of sweat, she'd gain more of an answer if she went in and saw what was going on herself.

* * *

Mayor Parson had gained somewhat more of an understanding when the environment around him become more concrete and tangible, the human man recognizing this setting almost instantly.

It wasn't exactly a perfect replica, yet it bore just enough similarities to that of his childhood home, particularly his very own bedroom. A closet that was overloaded with toys had seemingly been unable to contain anymore, flooding out and creating something of a wall of toy robots, rubber ducks, and strangely shaped dolls he surely didn't possesses as a child behind him. It also, as he came to see, as he sat upon an impossibly large bed, served as something of a barricade from anywhere else, its contents stacked up high and definitely difficult to try and scale.

But perhaps he shouldn't even try. After all, his 'parents' were wanting to have a word with him.

* * *

'My, my.' She thought. 'This certainly IS a bad dream.'

She had meant this in more ways than one, gazing at the scene before her with a twinge of bewilderment, but also of amusement. If she were going to put the human in anything, it certainly wouldn't be in clothes befitting some human child. Then again, judging from what was around her, his attire fit the current scene perfectly.

Though the Mayor's set of clothing, let alone the bizarre setting, was not what drew her interest.

Standing before, or rather, above the bed, towering over the far smaller human were what appeared to be male humanoids of sorts, though unlike the man she had previously been eyeing before, these two seemed to be composed of, or quite literally constructed out of metal. There were two of them, each bearing a good degree of differences from the other. The one on the left consisted of a color scheme of mostly ivory and a reddish-orange, bits of silver lining that of his forearms (or at least where his forearms joined the rest of his upper limbs) and a peculiar set of duel blades set atop of his head, giving off the appearance of a pair of large scissors. His facial features were rather smooth in comparison to the far larger automaton next to him, large eyes sporting black pupils and a small, puppet-like mouth that she assumed would function by moving up and down as he spoke.

His companion was one that, had he been clothed in human skin, she would've immediately set her sights on to grab a little bite from. Then again, she had never seen such beings before, so further observation might be in order. Besides, she was more than intrigued in what all this was about, whatever it was.

The scissor-headed being paled in comparison to his partner's girth, this particular specimen garbed in armor of mainly red and black, his limbs composed of a thick, dense yellow metal. The only blue portions of him were that of his feet and a cubically-shaped jaw that gave the larger being something of a pronounced underbite. Atop his head sat a helmet of sorts, a helmet she likened to that of human construction workers. Was he perhaps in the same sort of service? Doubtful, otherwise what would he being doing here, inside the mind of this human man? He presented the Mayor with a deep, intimidating glare as he towered over him and the rest of the room, his cobalt blue eyes having no semblance of any traits of calm and serenity that usually came with such a color.

Still though, whatever form of demon or creature they may be, she had yet to see ones like them before in her lifetime. And the question remained: what they were doing here, assuming they were the ones that sent the purple orb into her prey's mind. And if so, for what purpose?

* * *

"Mommy? Daddy?" the Mayor asked, voice very much like that of a child, though he still bore the pitch and tone of a man his age. "Is that you?" his arms tightened around the small bear, pressing it up against his chest.

"Yeah." The more heavy-set of the two figures confirmed. "I'm your daddy," he then gestured to the other, the one with the scissors. "And this is your mommy."

"And you've been a very bad boy." The scissor-headed figure stated, pointing to his far smaller form.

This…this wasn't right. Something was off here. His room didn't look like this when he was a child. True, he wasn't exactly diligent in putting his toys where they were supposed to go, yet they never got to where they formed a literal wall, blocking the exit and anywhere else he could escape to, away from the his 'parents'. And speaking of his parents, Mayor Parson found himself struggling with what he was seeing before him. These two…despite their claims, he had SEEN them before somewhere. He KNEW he had seen them somewhere before. And they most definitely weren't anyone in his family, let alone human.

Still, even with these realizations briefly flashing in his mind, they only stayed for a second or two. Some sort of force, some overpowering influence, perhaps the same that had created this place and put these two here reigned supreme over any sort of logic and reasoning. All that seemed to matter, all that was allowed to matter, was that his 'mommy' had just addressed 'her' disappointment in him. That he was a 'bad boy'.

And that ultimately, for whatever reason, was above all else at this moment. Perhaps though, if not for the influence he was being put under, or the focus of the two machines chastising him, they would've taken notice of a peculiar little doll nestled near the front of the collection of toys. One that bore the appearance of a porcelain girl dressed in white, with peculiarly colored, curly hair, and small, petite wings sprouting out from her back.

"No, I'm not!" The Mayor immediately protested with his 'mother'. "I…I'm a good boy! Honest!"

"Then prove it!" his 'mother' demanded, reaching forward and taking the far smaller man into his…'her' red hand. He had seen them before. "Prove you're a good boy!" He knew he had. So why couldn't he remember where?! But what his 'mother' had just said…yes. Yes, he'd prove it! He'd do anything to prove it! He was good! He knew it! He had to make them believe him! "Go to your office and get the secret passcode from your files. The one that has to do with the new space station." His 'mother' commanded, still holding him up close to both 'her' and his 'father'. "And fax it to me." 'she' commanded, his 'father's' glowering eyes piercing through his tiny frame.

"Do it!" he roared. "NOW!"

* * *

'Do it! NOW!'

'Do it! NOW!'

"Do it…now."

The dream had ended, though not the half-awake state he had been placed in. Rising from his bed, Mayor Parson didn't even bother to dress himself in more appropriate attire, going right out of his room and eventually, through his front door, in his nightwear. He got into his car, and revved up the engine, eventually speeding out of his driveway and down the road at a high speed.

He didn't event take notice of the van that hadn't been there before parked outside of the gate.

Something of which she immediately took notice of when it had first pulled up.

She pondered, as she watched from the rooftop, concealed by the blanket of darkness the night brought, of what sort of power she had just witnessed, let alone the means of harnessing it were. The source of where this power seemingly came from had also began to drive out of sight, tagging along behind the speeding car that left not but a few moments prior.

She had to know more. She had to see more.

Once she was sure that the van was out of sight, at least of her, she spread her wings and took flight, the darkened sky above concealing her form from the world below.

'Tonight is proving to be a VERY interesting night indeed.'

 **A Short Time Later**

Two beings had exited the van, both humanoid in shape, yet distinguishable and different compared to the other, almost in the same manner the two she had seen before had been. One had something of a stout figure with a mowhawk and a peculiar set of lips (or perhaps a bill? Certainly looked like it) attached to his face, whilst his companion was garbed in a suit of black and red, a mask of gold adorning his face, with similar armor being situated on his arms, and legs.

"Follow the Mayor on his little 'trip' to his office." The elderly male in the vehicle commanded the two beings. "And should you happen across 'him' at any time, make sure that he gets taken care of!"

The masked being huffed, as if what the man was ordering was elementary to him. "Naturally." He stated, voice smooth and suave, definitely catching her attention. "What else is there to do regarding the blue pest?"

"I've got an idea…" the mowhawk bearing one interjected, pulling out what appeared to be some sort of exploding device. "Pop of these in that sucker's mouth and it'll be the Fourth of July for all of us!"

"Then what are you doing here simply telling me about it?" the human chastised. "Go out there and DO IT!"

The two seemed to need no more than that, immediately taking off after the Mayor's car, all the while the van had taken a right turn at the incoming intersection.

'Reminds me of the ancient stiffs back home.' She thought to herself, looking at the two pursuing the car on foot, then to the van steadily making its way perpendicular of them. 'Where to go, where to go…'

Indeed, this presented her with a bit of a problem. Whilst she was definitely amused the sight of the Mayor driving around in his sleepwear with two individuals chasing after him with little more than their own speed, she couldn't deny that the vagueness and potential possibilities that rested with the old man's device had been what enticed her beforehand. Her decision was ultimately made, going and following the van from above, unseen by the world below.

Though one particular curiosity continued to pick and pry at her as she surveyed her quarry: whom was this 'blue pest' that had been mentioned? Better yet, why did the human speak of him with such distain?

* * *

"Hmm…" he moaned, a scene beginning to materialize before him, shapes and objects of varying colors coming together and forming a solid, tangible environment around him in which had once been a dark, empty void. "Huh?" as his vision adjusted, he found himself in…downtown?

It seemed to be that way, in fact, he believed that he could see the NYPD station not too far from here! Yet as he let his feet take him forward…he found that the station hadn't gotten any closer. On the contrary, it appeared to be going further and further away from him. Soon, it wasn't the only piece of this seemingly familiar environment that began to alter and change its shape. The buildings had, even as he looked right at them, stretch and warp before his very eyes, extending upward ever and ever onward until they blended in with the very heavens themselves, of which appeared to be anything but with their ominous red and thick clouds. The chief kept running, even with it becoming more and more apparent that such an action was useless. Yet he had to do something! He had to get out of here!

He had to! He had to…"Oooh…" for now, he had to go and take a little rest, finding a lamp post to lean up against as he caught his breath. 'Geez…' he thought to himself, completely unaware of the fact that the buildings and sky were not the only things that had undergone some drastic transformation. 'You would've thought I had gained about thirty years or so…'

"…hee hee!"

His eyes widened, he immediately lifting himself up from his resting place, head whirling left to right. 'What in the world-'

"Hee hee!"

There was someone else here? Better yet, it was a woman?

"Hey…" and from the sound of it, "Over here!" it was a young, beautiful woman. And upon catching sight of a shape inching its way out from a nearby ally, the Chief found that his assumptions had been nothing short of absolutely correct.

Her hand lightly touched the corner of an aged, brick foundation, the skin a perfect balance between light and dark, just the shade he found most appealing. Her shapely, gorgeous form was garbed in a tight fitting, white collared shirt and a pair of red leather pants, the leather practically hugging the delectable skin hidden underneath. Black boots with heels were on her feet, making her appear taller than she perhaps was, yet they complemented her attire perfectly. She was gorgeous, simply and utterly gorgeous, and yet…and yet despite that…he couldn't deny that there was something 'off' about her. True, she bore what appeared to be long, flowing hair of an unusual color (a sea green or something along those lines) and her eyes of blue were quite transfixing, if not outright piercing, as if he were some hapless rodent that had become noticed by a prowling feline.

But in the end…he found he didn't care. Strange hair or no, intimidating eyes or no…he wouldn't mind obeying her request for him to come to her. He wouldn't mind being her mouse.

Immediately moving, as if pulled by her very whim, the man went right to her, she surprisingly waiting for him to make his way over. Beautiful…he thought, his former tension and fear of the strange world around him becoming lost in her very presence, especially in those perfect, turquoise eyes. The perfect woman. The apex and ideal image of the feminine side of humanity. And she had beckoned him of all people to her. Her hand graced itself alongside his cheek, the contrast in each others' skin texture comparable to that of glass and sandstone, yet that only made him crave her touch even more. He reached up to his face, his palm readying itself to place itself atop of the crisp, slightly chilled skin…only to meet nothing.

She had pulled away from him.

He was left in a stupor as it was only then that his mind realized that she, the perfect woman, his perfect woman, had up and abandoned him, the click-clack of her boots echoing as she seemed to disappear within the ever darkening, fathomless shadows of the alleyway. "W-Wait!" he called out, wasting no time in going after her, it never even crossing his mind as to how much clearer his mind had felt the moment she left him, how he suddenly realized that this was far from a place he should be in. "Wait, please! Don't go-oof!"

How he could also potentially bump into someone twice his height and most definitely not having his best interests at heart.

"Hello there, Chief!"

Scratch that. Make that TWO someones. Two someones that he had seen before. He KNEW it! But where from?! He…he just couldn't seem to process some things that should've been common knowledge to him! Unfortunately for him, the aforementioned Chief had no time to ponder any of this further, as he was roughly lifted up by the collar of his shirt, helpless against the strength of the bigger of the two giant punks. Both of which, whilst he couldn't exactly identify, were clearly not human.

"Never a cop around when you need one, huh?" the other figure chuckled, bringing a pair of oddly familiar shears dangerously close to him, the blades smooth and sharp enough should its owner wish to make use of them.

"Wh-What do you want?!" he blabbered out, feeling more than a little pathetic, yet given the circumstances and environment he was trapped in, he found himself with little options.

"The head of security!" the larger punk bellowed out, voice practically creating a shockwave throughout his smaller body. "We want a name!"

"Head of security? What are you talking about?!"

"The space research center!" the scissor-wielding figure clarified. "Who is the head of security at the center?!"

* * *

She was concealed well enough, and she could clearly hear well enough to know what the two mechanical beings were saying, yet still, she wasn't entirely satisfied. This was what she had come for, and frankly, she wasn't going to risk missing out on a few details because she was too afraid of being seen.

Besides, she thought, perhaps that would simply make things more interesting.

* * *

"I-I don't know!" the Chief pleaded. "I don't know something like that off the top of my head!"

"Then go get it!" the larger of the two roared, throwing the terrified man to the ground below, yet despite the height he had been tossed from, he surprisingly received no major injuries. As if all of this were simply a dream. "Go to wherever you can find it, and make sure you get the right one!"

"Yeah, sure! I…I can do that! Just don't hurt- "he looked back, just for a brief second, yet he managed to catch it: a feminine shape partially concealed by the shadows, watching him from afar, an expression of intrigue and fascination plastered on her picturesque features. "Help me!" he called out, not even realizing that his two aggressors had also taken to looking in the same direction. "Help me, they're going to kill me! Help!"

* * *

"Help…help…" he continued to murmur, she in turn observing his wriggling, writhing form, a orb of violet light exiting his head and making its way back to the van outside.

'Interesting.' She thought, quickly making herself scarce as it was evident that the human male would be 'waking' in a sense soon. 'Very, very interesting…'

 **Outside**

The sudden sensation of something tangible and solid underneath them, something that belonged in the realm of reality, was somewhat of a shock to them as their feet met the ground. Nonetheless, after a moment or two of reacquainting themselves, Cut and Guts Man soon found their balance once again, Dr. Wily practically brimming with anticipation.

"I take it that everything's been taken care of?" he questioned eagerly. Perhaps he was getting his hopes too high considering these two were all he had at his disposal for now, yet given how the Mayor was tearing through town by their suggestion alone, he was rather anxious to see whether or not fortune would be on his side yet again.

And from the sound of it, it had indeed. "Sure has!" Guts Man exclaimed, pounding his chest with pride. "The Chief's going to get the name of the head of security where he works!"

"He's probably getting on his way as we speak!" Cut Man interjected, more than eager to report their (rarely successful) progress.

"Finally! It seems you two ARE useful for something!" Wily congratulated. "Now, we just need to make sure that he delivers said information to us…I'll have Proto Man give him a call when he reaches the station, and then we can- "the balding scientist paused for a moment, noting how, despite their enthusiasm before, it has seemingly died down. In fact, the two Robot Masters appeared to be somewhat troubled. "What did you leave out or forget to mention?" Wily questioned. He knew it, it was too good to be true.

"Nothing!" Guts Man shook his head. "We told him everything you told us to, Dr. Wily!"

"Then what? What's gotten you two looking as if you just remembered something vital that slipped your minds?"

Cut Man's processor began going to work. How in the world could he even phrase this, let alone have it make any sort of logical sense?

"Well?"

No turning back now. It wasn't as if the old man would let them simply drop it anyway. "Dr. Wily," the bladed android began, "What was the scenario programmed for the Chief?"

"What kind of question is that?" the old man scoffed, befuddled, yet somewhat offended. "The buffoon was to be alone in a gloomy city with you two being local street thugs that were to threaten him into compliance."

"So, you didn't put in anyone else?"

"Anyone else? What are you…look, just spit it out already! You're making very little sense as it is!"

"We saw someone else in there!" Guts Man cut in, Cut Man far from happy that the larger robot went in and stole what he was essentially going to say (albeit slightly more articulate). "There was another person we saw in the Chief's dream!"

Wily did little more than quirk one, shaggy brow, frankly trying to process what was being told to him. "Someone else?" he repeated, Guts Man in turn nodding. "As in who?"

"A woman." Cut Man answered, relieved that he got to this one before his partner. "At least, I think it was a woman."

"What do you mean, 'I think'? Men and women aren't exactly carbon copies of the other."

"I…I don't know." The reprogrammed DLN sighed. "It LOOKED like a woman, she even looked HUMAN. But…"

"But what?"

"I can't really explain it. She…she just felt…odd." there had to be a better term he could use. Something to better convey just how he felt about it. "Like she was..." yet what he said next, it only seemed to make even less sense. "...inhuman."

 **Note: First contact has (sorta) been made, and from here, our little interloper just keeps getting bolder and bolder. Granted, there are many things in the episode that don't make sense, yet I have to remind myself that this takes place in a world where a mad scientist somehow has an army or robots, yet none of them has a shred of competence in them (something I sort of ignore), evil genies live in bottles, a tribe of Lion men (Mega Man Abridged made that episode AMAZING. 'What do you think this is?! Furry Fridays?!') and a college/school/university/general learning place for machines of all things. Maybe I could get away with a supernatural being invading other people's dreams.**

 **That said, here's hoping that this at least somewhat peaked your interest, and that some of you are interested in seeing more! Thank you all for your support and I hope to see you next chapter!**


	2. I Walked with You

**Note: Hey guys, part 2 here. Not much traction on this, yet it is just one chapter so far, and I don't blame anyone, as Darkstalkers is a bit more obscure than the Blue Bomber himself. Still though, here's hoping this garners a few more readers, and I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2: I Walked with You**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

Finally, it was done!

And for the most part, it had been going rather smoothly. Far more than usual, something of which Wily both welcomed, yet treated with a good degree of caution. Rare happenings such as these were to be appreciated, yes, but for every silver lining, there was a dark underbelly, bloated and ready to shower whatever was below, he always said.

'Said unerbelly's probably already taken notice that there's something amiss.'

"You called, Doc?"

All the same, the 'good' Doctor wasn't unprepared. In fact, bizarrely enough, he had been anticipating such a turn of events, and thus, the perfect plan to counter the blue thorn in his side.

"Indeed." Dr. Wily stated, turning around in his chair to see Proto Man standing by the Dream Machine. "I have something I need from you, my boy."

'…whether you mean that or not, I've leave it for debate.' The android had thought, though he would dare not release it vocally. Some things, even with his tendency to speak his mind, were better left unsaid.

Still, he found the human's request somewhat odd. True, it was enough of a rare sight to actually see the old coot in such a good mood, yet then again, he didn't actually believe that he would've been successful in invading and planting suggestions in both the Mayor and Police Chief's brains. Heck, he didn't really even count on the Dream Machine even functioning as Wily intended. The entire concept sounded absolutely absurd to him and everyone else, though only he was brazen enough to openly express it. And yet here they were: in one of Wily's several hidden locations (a distant cave out of state) with not only the security codes and a smaller version his new device on one of the research center's rockets, and nobody but the usual blue interloper was probably on their tail.

"So," even so, what the scientist had told the prototype DLN next left him somewhat flabbergasted. "Hopefully you didn't just call me in to fetch the two stooges for you."

"No. This particular task is one I've reserved for you."

"What are you- "

"The center may be open for us, and the transmitter may be on the ship, yet should Mega Man make it in time, this entire operation will be stopped before it's even begun." The old man turned around in his chair, back to the keyboard and monitor. "That's where you come in, my boy."

* * *

Hmm…it seemed like she was finally going to be able to see this 'Mega Man' for herself, even if it was little more than a digital alteration. The old man could simply do that, she supposed. Truly, even for one such as herself, she had to admit that it was somewhat difficult to grasp as to how the aging fossil even concocted such a strange device, let alone how he even made it a reality in the first place!

'Humans…if only some of those Makai Nobles could see this one's efforts, they'd probably declare them as specimens to study rather than see them as cattle.'

She licked her lips. Not that they were never considered as such to her, she just preferred a little foreplay before the main event. After all, had she not been interrupted beforehand, she and the Mayor would've surely shared the best night of his life. And last, should the old fool's heart give out, something she had gotten better at avoiding with experience, yet with older men, there was always that risk.

But he didn't matter now, nor did that other human. Finally, she was about to gaze upon this figure that was spoke with such disdain and fear. Oooh, the anticipation was murder! Yet she had to wait, she couldn't let the urge to peek in through one of the windows or the lightest sound startle the two inside the vehicle. Thankfully, however, it seemed that she had finally been granted some reprieve, the gods having answered with the windows emitting a bright, purple hue and a sphere of the same colored light making its way through the roof and off to places unknown.

That was, unknown for just a little while longer.

* * *

There he was below him. And here he was, towering over the confused, terrified human in a titanium skin of blue, the act of scooping him up and holding him in his now enlarged hand all too easy.

"Mega Man?!" the head of security hollered, completely forgetting the fact that he had somehow been warped here from his bed, let alone why the Blue Bomber was a good fifty feet taller than him. Actually, the entire world seemed bigger, as if the environment itself was forcibly pushing on him of just how small and insignificant he was. "Wh-What are you doing here?! What ARE you doing anyway?!"

"Surely you haven't gone senile yet, old man." 'Mega Man' answered, the voice emitting from the massive figure a perfect imitation of Dr. Light's creation. Pitch, inflection, everything. "What other reason would I want to come here other than to test out just how efficient this baby here can be!" he then brought the cannon of his buster uncomfortably close to the human, the older man gazing in terror at the expansive, gaping hole before him. Images of an incoming maw coming to swallow him whole and bottomless pits found in the distant, unexplored places of the Earth forcibly inserted themselves into his mind, he in turn trying to struggle against the azure behemoth's grip, fruitless as it was.

"N-No!" the human protested. "You, you can't be here! You can't be Mega Man!" Something, no, everything about this was wrong! It was all wrong! He knew better! Mega Man, he would never-

"Think what you want, old timer!" 'Mega Man' bellowed, his blue eyes, cold and steely, looking to one of the large monitors stationed in the unnaturally large room. "But if I were you," he rose his buster towards it, the reflection of the developing energy from inside the firearm etching itself in the widened eyes of his captive. "I'd REALLY hate to have to be the one to explain WHY all this valuable equipment and research went down in flames!"

He didn't fire, not yet. True, the implanted suggestion would do most of the work, yet if he didn't get this right, there'd definitely be a problem. He had to give just enough of an indication that what the human was witnessing was nothing short of an infallible prediction of what was to come. Yet in the brief moments before the energy from the buster was finally released, before the head of security screamed out a deafening protest before the dream came to an end…he saw something.

Reflected in the glass surface of the monitor, completely absent and unseen before, yet now seen, clear as day, something….no, someone else was there, right behind him.

Someone that, in those last moments, had laid their hand on his shoulder, the single, seemingly insignificant touch alerting him that it…that she was in no way a hallucination, let alone a glitch.

* * *

The cushioning of the seat felt akin to solid rock when it met his back, though in a sense, he was grateful for the sensation. If anything, it allowed him some solace that he was once again in the waking world.

"Back already? Well, fine by me. Just as long as you…" Proto Man heard Wily declare, looking at the befuddled machine that had appeared to be forcibly ejected from the dream manipulating device. "You look like you've seen a ghost, my boy." Proto at first didn't answer, his eyes shifting and darting left and right in search of something unseen by the older scientist.

Though when he did speak, "Woman."

"What was that?"

It wasn't exactly something the doctor expected, though it was far from unfamiliar to him. "In that guy's mind, in his dream, I saw someone. A woman."

* * *

"ARGH!"

"It's no use, you big lug! Stop!"

"Sh-Shut up! I got this-GAH!"

The former foreman's powerful arms retreated once again at the touch of the electrified fence, Proto Man in turn rolling his eyes behind his visor, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. It was the old coot's idea to put the bomb underneath the jeep. Heck, it was HE who up and set the thing to go off himself! But, of course his brother would notice something so obvious! And of COURSE, if not Cut or Guts Man, one of them would go and give themselves away too soon!

Said someone was currently lying in a pile of dismantled pieces by their electrified barricade.

'Another trip to the tool shed for that one.' Proto thought, all the while looking for some way to get out of this trap set up by Mega Man and that stupid dog of his. Then it hit him. Of course! After all, whose power had that blue dweeb made use of to trap them in this little cage? "Elec Man, get up here and- "

"What do you think I've been trying to do?!" the Robot Master snarled, Guts Man just then realizing that in his attempts to break out of their prison, there had been someone behind him. Someone that, up until now, had been practically squished up against the fence, completely unaffected by the surging waves of electricity. "Make way, you buffoon!" Elec Man ordered Guts Man, he in turn making his anger at having been at the mercy of the larger machine's weight rather clear with a shock of his own to the other Robot Master's arm. "Allow someone with actual competence to take the wheel for once."

This earned a rather insulted growl from Guts Man, Proto Man somewhat baffled at what he had heard from Elec Man of all bots. The fact he presented his hand out for him to grab seemed to only solidify this sense of leadership he apparently represented for all of them.

"Make yourself useful and assist me in getting these fools out of here. Those human officers and their tin soldiers aren't going to buy into the Doctor's little story of 'Mega Man's Rampage' much longer."

Proto Man was completely silent.

"Well?" Elec Man exclaimed, the other robot in turn grabbing his hand rather harshly, the android's namesake ability transferring itself into the other machine.

And whilst he was far from caring, perhaps it was something of a blessing in disguise that the transfer didn't exactly entail a transferring of thoughts. Oh, such wonderful, thoughtful things regarding the electricity-based Robot Master were simply coursing through his mind at that moment.

* * *

"Sir!"

That voice…

"Sir! Snap out of it!"

Another shake forced his eyes open, brown, moist ones coming to be reflected in a pair of glassy blue.

"Mega Man?"

Wait, Mega Man?! Here?!

"Sir, what's going on?! I was arrested by your own men out there!"

Wait a moment. Something…something was different. The blue robot that was before him…this wasn't the same one that had threatened to destroy this place. He bore his appearance and voice, and yet that was just it. Those two qualities were all they shared. As far as he was concerned, the human man was currently in the presence of a completely different individual. It was then, however, that the Blue Bomber's words finally registered with him.

"Arrested? What are you…" the head of security moaned, his entire form feeling lethargic and deprived of sleep, despite the fact he was in the same clothes he had put on before bed. "Oh no. Oh no, I…I didn't mean to…"

Mega Man quirked one of his brows. "Didn't mean to…?"

"I…it, it sounds ridiculous." The balding human groaned, his temple throbbing terribly. "But I…I dreamt that you were going to come here and destroy the research center." It wasn't intentional, it truly wasn't, yet the look of confusion that came to the robot's features sent him over the edge. "It's true! I know it makes no sense, and no, it also doesn't make sense in you even doing such a thing, but I swear, I saw it! I saw you! It…" the head paused for a moment, cradling his aching head in his hands. "It all seemed so real. It…you…and…"

"Sir, it's all right." He heard the Blue Bomber tell him, a hand gently placing itself on his shoulder. "It…I don't know what's going on, but you're ok. You're here now, so- "

Though the look the man gave him when he raised his head indicated he was anything but ok. If anything, it was as if the Blue Bomber had outright struck him. Yet a moment or two later, the man made his way to behind the robot, turning him to face the large monitor in front of them, he in turn placing his hand on Mega's own shoulder.

"…she was here."

"What?"

"Here." The head of security reiterated. "She had placed her hand on your shoulder…just like this. But…it looked like you didn't know she was there. Not until she touched you."

* * *

The old man's brows furrowed at what he had just been informed of. Indeed, the situation had been worse than he anticipated.

"It's out of the radiation belt?" Dr. Light asked, the speakers of his main computer confirming his fears.

"By now, I would wager." Mega Man answered. "And not just that, any and all communication has gone out."

The blonde housekeeper beside Light folded her arms and bit her lip, frustration and anger etching themselves into her features. And to think, she thought it was going to be a good night, let alone a day as of now! Any awesome memories of actually getting into a midnight screening of 'The Last Drag' were being completely soured by that old fart and his goons!

"Doctor, I hate to say this, but I'm at a bit of a loss at what can be done now." Mega Man stated, far from proud, let alone entirely willing to admit such a thing. Still, this wasn't exactly the time, especially given that more pressing matters were at hand. "There's a possibility that perhaps another ship could be sent out, yet that in itself would take a good degree of time that we don't have."

"Indeed." Light confirmed, folding his hands underneath his chin, elbows resting on the expansive keypad of the computer. "What Wily plans exactly to do regarding the research center could be anyone's guess, though I don't believe I need to say it'd be anything beneficial."

"Oooh!" Roll could take no more, she raising her right leg and promptly stomping her foot, the impact of her red boot making contact with the floor echoing throughout the entire lab. Not exactly behavior Dr. Light cared to see, yet at least she wasn't cursing. "If only we could get ahold of that stupid dream machine or whatever it is ourselves!" she angrily declared. "Then you could just beam or shoot yourself right in with them and…" wait a moment. "And…" she turned to Dr. Light, who also seemed to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, they weren't as helpless as they initially thought.

"Doc?" Mega Man asked, perturbed by the sudden bout of silence following his sister's outburst. Though his sibling's words then began to dawn on him as well. Yes. Yes, that…that could work. But…"Doc, you know those pictures Rush took of-"

"Yes." Light interrupted. "Though, I won't lie to you. It will take some time. And nothing, I mean NOTHING, can be simply left to chance. I need to study the photographs completely and get any and all details displayed. Otherwise…" he paused. Otherwise what? Frankly, until today, the very thought of a 'dream transmitter' sounded like an element in some fanciful science fiction novel, if not outright fantasy. Then again, the very man who constructed such a thing also had an army of Robot Masters at his beck and call, so really, perhaps Light should've been asking why WOULDN'T Wily create such a thing? Still, if he got this wrong, just one component or part wrong…

"Well, Doc," Roll interjected, more than a little anxious to get some sort of plan off the ground. "What's the verdict?"

The scientist was silent for a short time, a low sigh being the only thing to escape him before, reluctantly, he made his announcement. "Mega Man, you and Rush come back here. If I'm going to even attempt something as mad as this, I'll definitely need a second opinion."

* * *

"Excellent." Wily openly declared, the sight of the ship above the very planet he currently stood upon presenting itself on the screen. He then turned to the three machines accompanying him. "You three can make this work, can't you?" the scientist questioned, though it was clear that said question was far from genuine.

"Do we have a choice?" Proto Man in turn quipped, Wily's eyes narrowing.

"The one without a choice is me, boy." The doctor answered, inputting the settings for the dream transmitter as well as checking the link it held with the smaller duplicate currently aboard the ship. "If not for Bomb Man's little 'slip up', he and Elec Man would be the ones accompanying you on this little endeavor to the stars." Though given how far he had come now, perhaps it didn't entirely matter. True, the car bomb blowing Bomb Man to literal bits didn't exactly bode well with him, not to mention Elec Man in turn being the one to take him back to the Skull Fortress (he suspected it was simply because he had decided he saw a way out of this little assignment), but so far, everything had been going as planned. Mega Man would simply have to be dealt with later.

'And maybe dear Thomas can do that for me…' he thought, a handful of scenarios and potential scenes he could construct via the transmitter filling his mind.

"Listen Doc," Proto Man's voice piped up, wrangling Wily out of his frenzied imagining of the blue pest's newly planned demise. "You certain that thing is up and running ok?"

"Of course it is, you dunce!" the balding madman retorted. "What do you take me for, some sort of senile sack of flesh and bones?"

As tempting as it was to confirm such, the scarf wearing robot knew better than to let such a thing slip out. Besides, at the moment, he was far from wishing to be making any cracks or jabs.

"I know what you're going to say, boy, and the answer is the same as the one I told you before." Wily began before Proto or anyone else could get another word in. "I did NOT, nor would I EVER program something as ludicrous as some giant woman standing behind you. Now, if you have nothing else you'd like to discuss then- "

"Wait a minute." Cut Man interjected (or 'cut in' as he probably would've said, much to everyone else's chagrin). "You saw a woman in someone's dream too?"

Wily released a frustrated groan, knowing exactly where this was headed.

"Whoa, whoa." Proto Man exclaimed, eyes widening from behind his visor. "What? What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean 'what am I talking about'?" the scissor-headed Robot Master retorted in turn. "You, er, Dr. Wily were just talking about it! You saw a woman! A giant woman!"

"No, the lady wasn't a giant!" Guts Man interjected, reacting as if Cut Man had made some grievous error. "She was tiny! Heck, she was just about as tiny as the chief!"

"Tiny" Giant? What- "

"Did she have green hair?" Cut Man asked. "And…a shirt that…well…" he paused for a moment, somewhat thankful he didn't have the ability to blush, not that it would've done much, seeing as most of him was already red. "It was kind of…low cut." He then motioned around his pectorals. "Around…here?"

At the moment, Proto Man was rather thankful he didn't possess the ability to blush either.

"Alright, all of you, enough!" the sound of their leader's voice immediately drew all their attention. And his fists banging themselves on the keyboard certainly helped. "We have what we want RIGHT there, in the palm of our hands!" Wily gestured towards the screen and the ship displayed on it. "Everything, up until now, has been going EXACTLY how it has been laid out and executed!"

"Even the part where Mega Man had to derail the train and we were caught in the electrified fence- "

"Silence!" Guts Man immediately went such. "The point being, we are THIS close," Wily gestured, a small space between the thumb and pointer finger of his right hand. "To having what we want! So insanely close!" he then pointed to the transmitter. "And what are all of you doing? Making senseless, useless conversation and banter about some mystery woman with outrageously colored hair, dress, and size?! All of which I have told you I had NOT put into ANY of the simulations?!"

"Then explain it, Doc!" Proto Man protested. "These two might be idiots, but they've still got eyes that I'd assume are still functioning properly! Unless you've been skimping out on tune ups again!"

"Yeah!" Guts Man declared. "We may be idiots, but we've- "he was stopped by a punch to his forearm, curtsey of Proto Man himself, Cut Man simply releasing a sigh.

The prototype DLN pointed to the transmitter. "Probably wouldn't surprise me, seeing as something like THIS looks like it'd take a LOT of screws and wires to put together!"

Wily rose from his chair. "Watch yourself, boy."

"You first, old man." Said 'boy' snarled back. "I don't know why either, and heck, when I first heard it from them, I didn't believe it. But if something IS wrong with that thing that's making things and people appear where they shouldn't, then maybe it wouldn't hurt for you to just give it one little look. Because if you beam us up there and something DOES go wrong, you'd be out of luck, because after that, no one is going to be willing to touch this thing again!"

A lingering silence fell in between the two figures, Cut and Guts Man becoming more than a little eager to go and excuse themselves outside.

SLAM!

Only thing was that they didn't have to. Wily and Proto had beaten them to it.

The van's door was opened, both of them exiting, the human scientist in turn slamming the door behind them. And whilst no one needed to tell the two Robot Masters inside that this was meant to be a private conversation, the windows were still open and readily available to view what was going on.

"Why are you doing this, Proto?" Wily growled, just about willing to give the insufferable hunk of metal a smack across the face if the risk of breaking his hand wasn't a possibility. "Why now? Do you WANT Mega Man to screw all of this up again?" he leant in closer. "Do you WANT your brother and Light to see you as some useless piece of scrap- "

"Shut. Up." The android commanded. "If there's anyone making this difficult, it's you. There is no reason that you can't find some time, heck, a few minutes or even seconds, to just give that thing a quick look over before you do anything else with it."

Wily's shaggy brows furrowed, his lips parting as if to release some sort of rage-filled, unnaturally loud bellow right in his face. Yet instead…nothing came from his throat.

"What's going on?" Guts Man asked from his place on the floor.

"Hush!" Cut Man shushed, turning his attention back to the scene playing out from behind the glass barrier of the window. "They're…they're not doing anything right now."

"Huh?"

"They're not doing anything. They're just talking."

"That's doing something."

"…shut up."

"You know," Wily finally said, voice far from bearing any trace of fury. In fact, he was completely calm. "Since I rebuilt you from that garbage model Light discarded, I always wondered whether or not I needed to put a few things into your head to make sure that you would be functioning properly." He then tapped Proto Man's covered temple. "Like a 'guidance system' for example."

For one of the few times in his short life, the android didn't have anything to throw back at the older human.

"After all, Light's little six got their little adjustments, and they're all doing just fine." Proto flinched from a rough tug on his scarf, of which he quickly took in his hands to make sure it hadn't been removed. "And I HAVE been doing annual check ups." Wily was just mere inches away now. "You've just been missing yours."

"You…" the robot began, cursing himself for such a pathetic display he was presenting. "You're not touching anything."

"Then stop stepping out of line." The human growled. "Otherwise, you'll provide me with just the right excuse I need to maybe take a wrench or drill to your head." Proto Man said nothing, finding himself unable to look the human in the eye, despite the usually protective shield his shades provided. The sound of the van's door opening echoed throughout the barren, deep cavern. "Get back inside."

The scarf wearing machine was silent, not even moving for a moment or two. Yet it didn't take long for his feet to finally begin moving, he entering the vehicle, not even giving the human a passing glance.

Wily' fist trembled as his fingers gripped the door's handle, he then finally bringing it back, closing the van once again. What in the world was that boy trying to pull? It…it wasn't as if he believed he was lying to him, after all, such a thing was impossible. None of them could be lying to him, yet what they were saying…it was impossible. Simply impossible! There was no glitch in his transmitter! None! He was so close now! So insultingly close…and he wasn't going to let the complaints of some tin cans ruin this for him!

Let alone some mystery woman, no matter what size, shape, or sort of being she was. But then again, what did he have to worry about?

After all, as far as he was concerned, there WAS no woman.

None whatsoever.

'None…no, you're right about that, old man. No woman that you've ever seen before.'

 **Note: As evidenced by Elec Man, I'm drawing more from my other fic's characterization of the Robot Masters, which in turn is heavily influenced via Powered Up. One thing I'll admit I can't stand about the cartoon is how one note and mookish the Robot Masters are. Aside from their appearances, they could essentially all be the same person as there's little separating one from the other.**

 **Anyway, not giving it away yet, but anyone that knows Darkstalkers and its characters will probably have an idea as to whom exactly is causing all these oddities.**

 **Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! Thank you!**


	3. That Look in Your Eyes

**Note: Chapter 3 here, and here's hoping that it isn't too slow. If anyone's confused, yes, I'm aware that the 'mystery' character may seem a bit overpowered, yet there IS a legitimate reason for it, so please, be patient.  
**

 **Chapter 3: That Look in Your Eyes  
**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

"All right." The elderly scientist announced, though his voice wasn't exactly optimistic. "It's complete."

Light's three creations gathered around to view the fruits of his labor, noting that, indeed, whilst it was a smaller replica, it at least resembled the larger machine enough. Of course, now more than ever, resemblances would simply not be enough to go by.

"Now what?" Roll piped up, Light in turn turning his gaze towards the Blue Bomber opposite of her.

"Now," the doctor sighed. "We need to make certain that there are no glitches or overlooked details." He gave a tentative look towards the cerulean armored machine. "Lest we end up with a disaster of our own."

"With all due respect, Doc," Mega Man began. "I don't know if we'll have time to go through all that before Wily goes through with whatever he's planning. The smaller duplicate's already aboard the ship, and for all we know, he could've fired it up already."

"All the more reason to get going." Roll declared, Mega Man in turn giving her a small shake of the head. "All the more reason for YOU to get going." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Mega, are you certain you want to go through with this?" Dr. Light questioned, obviously more than a little anxious about this entire ordeal. And truthfully speaking, the blue robot felt no different. "Time is of the essence, yes, but there's no harm in you saying that perhaps another look or check would be in order- "

"And I'd be totally on board with that, Doc, but I'm afraid that by the time we do that, it might be too late." Mega Man interjected. "Communication with the ship has been completely cut off, the crew has no idea that a transmitter is even on the ship. All of that combined with what me and Roll have seen last night and this morning, I don't want to wait around and see what other potential damage that lunatic can do!"

The lab fell silent, the blue robot somewhat regretting in allowing himself to get so frazzled, especially upon seeing such a forlorn expression seep over his creator. Still…in that, there seemed to be a small sense of understanding. A silent agreement between the two of them, though only one of them could have the final say in what was to be done.

"It's all right." The Blue Bomber assured, not entirely sure he believed what he was saying himself, yet when it came to the man before him, there was no question. He approached the older human and placed once smooth, blue hand over the other's wrinkled, skin that composed of his own. "I trust you, Doc."

Dr. Light's eyes widened at that, he turning to gaze up at his creation, his own bewildered expression caught in the reflective surface of those eyes. Face to face was he with himself, and yet those eyes didn't falter.

'It…this can't be the work of my hands. It just can't be. This…this is something else at work here.'

"…All right." The scientist finally uttered. "It shall be done."

"You mean it?" Mega Man asked, the older man and his sibling noting he appeared to be caught in a limbo between relief and a bout of giddiness. As if he were about to accomplish a task set out especially for him and him alone.

"Yes, of course I mean it." Dr. Light replied. "But," he then said, raising the pointer finger of his right hand. "It'll only be done when the right conditions are met." He then gestured towards a small diode stationed atop of the small replica. "If there are multiple transmitters, then I think it's fair to say that they all have a signal they receive so they can go back and forth with one another. After all, while possible, especially with what we've seen now, I somehow doubt that Albert," he paused for a moment. "W-Wily, would be able to send machines all that distance away on their lonesome." Though he continued on with his explanation, his small error was clearly heard and registered by Mega and Roll, both of which appeared puzzled. "Thus, when this light here goes off," he tapped the diode. "Then that's when we'll know that the transmitter's in use, and thus, we'll be able to pinpoint its exact coordinates."

"Ok!" Roll then exclaimed. "Sounds like we got ourselves a plan! Only," she then thought. "How long do you think it's going to be until that old fart actually gets moving?"

"Not long." Mega answered. "All the pieces are in place for him now. He has little reason to wait- "

BEEP! BEEP!

All eyes turned to the small, newly constructed device, a violet light blinking in and out as a high-pitched sound echoed throughout the lab.

"Guess that's your cue, bro!" Roll exclaimed, Mega nodding in agreement.

"All right, into position!" Light ordered, the azure machine wasting no time in situating himself before the miniature dream machine. "Now," the human scientist began. "I don't think I need to tell you that- "

"Wait!" a voice called out, a blur of red suddenly stopping at Mega Man's feet. "Rush going too!"

"What?" the blonde housekeeper huffed. "Aw, SO not fair!"

"Everyone, please." Dr. Light interjected, trying to regain control of the situation. "As stated before, we're very pressed for time, and this in itself is very dangerous and prone to an ungodly amount of mishaps." He looked to the settings being displayed on his replica, the coordinates for the signal's destination point ready to be entered, along with Mega and Rush themselves. "Just please, for your own sakes, be careful."

A twinge of hesitation came over the Blue Bomber at that moment, eyes shifting uncomfortably in their sockets. Yet then, he looked back at the computer's monitor, then to the transmitter, and then to the robotic canine currently bathing his hand in wet tongue laps. What was he doing? He didn't have time for this! If he didn't act know,

'…she was here.'

Who'd know what would happen?

'She had placed her hand on your shoulder…just like this.'

"Doc?"

"Hm?"

'But…it looked like you didn't know she was there.'

"…nothing. Please, let's do this."

"…all right." The human stated, his creation turning to him and giving him a nod of acceptance and approval. His finger hovered over the switch that would activate the transmitter's intended function. Now or never.

'Not until she touched you.'

* * *

Tired. So unspeakably tired.

That was all the two men knew for sure as sleep finally overtook them, the unmeasured void outside of their current vessel almost seemingly assisting in goading them into such a state. Still, silent, and composed of nothing more than the small spots and blotches of faraway stars and planets, drifting and revolving just as they were in this fathomless space.

Still and silent…

Still and silent…

Still and…wait.

Something was materializing before them both. Yes, they were sure of it. Though, it then occurred to the men that, by some bizarre coincidence or twist of fate, they were apparently visualizing the same environment manifesting before them.

It was impossible, yet somehow, instead of the interior of the ship, the astronauts were greeted with the sight of an expansive chamber that seemed to stretch on and on, seemingly extending on into the very heavens forever and ever, though said 'heavens' were little more than an encompassing, black void. Aside from the flickering torches lined up on the walls, there were no present sources of light, the entire chamber being blanketed in a thick haze of semi-darkness.

"What the…"

Aged brick and cobblestone composed of the main building material of this place, bringing both men to link and reference the ancient castles and citadels of Europe. In fact, dare they say, it appeared that they were right inside on of those castles!

"What is this?" one of the men exclaimed, turning to his fellow crew mate to see the same befuddled look on his face. Not that he was entirely expecting an answer anyway.

"What is this?" a voice echoed, the tone caught between bemused at and mocking the men's obvious trepidation. "Why, this is your new home, gentlemen!"

Just then, as if from the very shadows themselves, two long, black tendrils of sorts reached down from the darkness and wound around their bodies, said tendrils steadily beginning to take a more familiar and, unfortunately, dangerous form. Around each astronaut rested a hissing, aggressive serpent, one coated in scales of green with saturated, red stripes whilst its fellow reptile sported scales of sheer black with golden diamonds trailing down its tightly compressed coils. The two men instantly began struggling against the materialized snakes that had seized them, though every shake and strain against their bonds of flesh only motivated their captors to strengthen their hold on their trapped limbs, the only parts of them left open and usable being from the knee down.

"What's going on?!" one of the men shouted, the snake just mere inches away from his face, forked tongue flicking itself across his warm, sweat covered flesh. "Show yourself!"

"Thought you'd never ask!"

Before them, from the very shadows that produced the large serpents, three figures garbed in thick robes of a darkened brown manifested. Humanoid in appearance they were (at least assumedly), yet that was all that the two men registered as familiar. These beings, whom or whatever they were, stood towering above them, the hoods of the robes creating a thick veil of darkness to where little else, but the light glimpse of their eyes could be seen, each of them reflected in a single pair (or visor, of which one oddly bore).

'These guys…' one of the men couldn't help thinking. 'If I could see what was underneath that hood, I'd know that I've seen them before.' Why such a thing would come to him, he had no idea, yet there was an undeniably uncanny quality to it that, bizarrely enough, made complete sense in this strange, overly large and unnatural environment. As if this very place was made just to make them feel as small and helpless as possible.

But…who would be able to do such a thing?

"As of now," one of the robed figures began, the small bit of light reflecting off some sort of glasses or visor (again, they had both seen that before on someone!) shifting a bit. "You are our space slaves, and unless you comply with our demands, you'll never see the light of day again!"

"Space slaves?" one of the astronauts questioned, a brow rising at his captor's wording. "That's a little specific isn't it?" it was faint, and it was likely that his partner didn't even notice it, yet he could've sworn that in that moment, the figure speaking to them grew somewhat nervous.

"Don't." said partner hissed, yet his crew mate kept going.

"In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that none of this is real-" he had planned to say much more, yet a crushing pressure came upon his chest and lower abdomen, the black snake wound around his mid-section tightening its body to the point where he could've sworn his knees would give out in no more than a few moments if it continued. Thankfully, and oddly enough however, it ceased its assault once his breathing began to become strained. As if it wasn't allowed to go too far. As if it couldn't really hurt him…though he wasn't exactly willing to try and test it again. That squeeze felt real enough.

"First rule of business." The hooded figure said. "Slaves don't talk back."

The man still contending with the green snake didn't need to be told that twice. Still, fruitless as it would've been, he couldn't stop himself from asking. "What do you want from us?"

"Whatever we ask of you." The head of the hooded trio barked out. "That's the whole point of enslavement, idiot!" and whilst neither men could be sure, they had almost begun to believe that they heard him say something else. 'Humans, I swear,' or something along those lines. "So, unless you want to spend the rest of your lives as our prisoners, you had better comply, lest both of you meet a rather unsavory fate!"

This whole scenario, there was something off here. Something wasn't right, yet neither could place their finger on what. This seemed real enough, these snakes certainly did, yet if they could just find out the 'secret', then they'd free themselves! If they, or heck, someone could find some sort of way to truly confirm that all of this wasn't as it seemed-

"Excuse me, fellas?"

Oh no, now what?!

From behind all of them, a large, almost blinding source of light had begun to develop, said source then seemingly coming right towards them, a large collection of golden energy (or was it plasma?) making contact with the small amount of area between the two men and their three captors, said area becoming singed and black, as if burnt. Turning in the direction said light had come from, a figure was seen making his way from the shadows, though contrary to the three before them, the astronauts found a distinct lack of fear or trepidation upon seeing this 'stranger' make himself known. Trotting forward on some sort of quadrupedal creature (it resembled a horse, yet the face was distinctly canine in nature) and garbed in small bits and pieces of golden armor, it was clear that the main bulk of his protection came from the blue sheen his entire form was coated in. The smoking cannon of his buster was also an indication that, despite his appearance, this figure wasn't exactly a knight in the 'traditional' sense.

"None of you fine gentlemen would know the quickest way to Camelot, would you?"

* * *

Ah, so THIS was Mega Man. In the flesh…so to speak.

If it wouldn't perhaps give away her presence, she would've allowed herself to chuckle openly at the form he chose for himself in this particular dreamscape.

'That is the UGLIEST 'horse' I've ever seen.'

Not to mention that, whilst perhaps it was too early to judge, the blue humanoid seemed to have a bit of a love for grand, heroic entrances. Then again, who was she to judge, as when the time came, she had the perfect introduction for this supposedly 'great' individual.

She only hoped that he would prove to be worth her time, seeing as her initial plans for the night had been caught up in seeing just what all the fuss was about.

'You had better be worth all this running around.' She mused, turquoise eyes looking upon the scene playing out down below her, she concealed by the ever-stretching shadows above. 'Otherwise I might have to make you…compensate for wasting my time.'

* * *

This.

This was it.

This was the 'something' he had been needing. The thing that would somehow, in some way, help them get out of this place and out of this nightmare!

"No!" the middle-hooded figure shouted, apparently more than a little familiar with this 'knight'. "How did you…" he stammered, as if confused, yet ultimately decided that his manner of arriving her didn't matter. "You're not allowed here!"

The blue and gold warrior atop his odd-looking steed was undeterred. "Neither are you, but that hasn't stopped you from harassing those from the Mayor all the way to the head of security for the space center, has it?"

Space center? As in, the one down below on Earth, then men thought? Then, then all of this really was just some sort of-

"Shut up, blue dweeb!" the largest of the cloaked figures bellowed, his deep baritone reverberating throughout the entire chamber, and if no one knew any better, they would've assumed that his very voice caused the place to shake. "You heard him, and now you're hearing me! GET OUT!" with that, the figure lunged forward, a pair of large fists slipping from the robe's sleeves as their owner lifted them up to strike at the 'knight' and his 'steed'.

The 'knight' took this opportunity to leap off of the strange looking 'horse' and right over his incoming aggressor, he then centering his sights on the still coiled up astronauts.

"Listen to me, this is important!" he told them, they far from finding any reason not to dismiss his words. "None of this is real! This is all a simulation put into your brains by some half-baked gadget Wily's put on your ship! You've got to- "

"How about YOU get CUT down to size!?" the second of the robed figures interrupted, he then raising one arm threating at the 'knight' and blasting out what appeared to be a pair of blades fastened together.

A pair of scissors…a pair of very familiar scissors…it was growing clearer and clearer for the two men now, the serpents that held them slowly beginning to lose their former strength.

The 'knight' made a quick dodge to the right, hitting the floor, though he quickly made up for the fall by releasing a pellet of plasma from his cannon. The collection of plasma made contact with the figure's robe, it then tearing through the thick fabric and revealing more of what was hidden beneath. Specifically, the white thigh and part of a red boot.

The illusion was breaking.

"Hurry!" the knight began again, wrangling himself up off the floor. "Find it and destroy it! This is all a dream, so try and wake up! Wake up and find it! Find- "

"Urragh!" the leader of the trio roared, outright leaping forward at the 'knight' and forcing his weight upon him. He too produced a buster of his own, the two figures struggling with one another in trying to keep the cannon of the other's weapon away from the other. "You're ruining everything!" the cloaked figure shouted, thrusting the barrel of his weapon right into the underside of his opponent's chin. "This entire assignment's been bad enough as it is! We don't need YOU showing up to make things worse!"

The two men immediately noticed the other two figures making their way forward, more than ready to launch their own attack against their downed hero.

* * *

Hmm…this was getting to be rather disappointing.

Still, no one had been killed yet, so perhaps it was too soon to tell.

Not for his own sake but hers as well, she only hoped that this so-called 'knight' got his act together in the next five minutes or so.

* * *

It then dawned on him. If this indeed was a dream, then he was facing this problem rather conventionally, wasn't he?

"Ruff! Righ ro Rilver! Raway!" galloping hooves were heard approaching them, and by the two the other two 'mysterious' figures noticed that they were in the 'steed's' direct path, it was all too late. The 'horse' barreled right into the two, knocking the larger into the smaller and sending them both crashing to the floor, dislodging the robes from their bodies and revealing to the two humans whom was lying beneath.

"Thanks boy!" Mega Man called out, he then bringing his knee right to the chest of his own 'mysterious' foe, this allowing him to maneuver the sole of his boot on the figure's lower abdomen and with one firm kick, fling and send him flying back. The figure landed on his feet behind the two men, he taking his robe by the middle and promptly tearing it off of him, seeing little use to maintain any sense of ambiguity anymore. "Hurry!" Mega called back to the men. "Go!"

* * *

"Hurry!"

Eyelids began to flutter open, the stale, ivory color of the ship's interior slowly invading their vision.

"Go!"

They were back. They were back! The leather of their seats and the very hairs on their arms being pulled more than alerted the two men that they were back in reality! Yet their hero's warning…they wasted no time in rising from their seats, the search for this 'transmitter' beginning right away.

Only question was where exactly could such a thing be hidden?

* * *

"Thanks a lot, bro!" Proto Man hissed, a dull ache in his lower stomach. "Tell me, do you have some sort of penchant for making our lives suck?"

"I'm not doing anything!" Mega Man retorted. "If anything, Wily's made a perfectly good night into a wild goose chase that nearly resulted in me being blown to pieces!"

"Forget being blown up!" Cut Man interjected, pulling his Rolling Cutter from the top of his head. "I'd say a good ol-fashioned disassembling would be WAY more satisfying!"

"No!" Guts Man then 'cut' in (Cut Man himself realizing his wording of the action was perfect). "I'd say we take him apart and SMASH every bit and piece of him until it's dust!"

"Whatever!" Proto Man yelled. "I highly doubt Wily even cares what happens to him, just as long as we get rid of him before those two humans find and destroy the transmitter!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Mega Man retorted, he cocking his buster, though instead of a blast coming out, the blade of a broadsword had instead, the buster in itself serving as the 'hilt' for the produced blade. "En garde!" he then declared, thrusting the blade in Proto Man's direction.

"…"

Silence.

"What?" the Blue Bomber questioned, unable to see it, yet his sibling was nothing short of baffled at what he was seeing.

"Really?" he asked.

"It fits the aesthetic!" Mega Man argued. "Besides, you guys are the one that chose the medieval times setting!" Rush seemed to agree with this, releasing a huff of air from his nose/snout.

"…well, yeah." Cut Man confessed. "I thought it was sort of cool…"

More silence, of which was finally broken by a sigh from Proto Man. "Oh heck with it." He then lifted his own buster up. "Long as I'm here, why not?" with a click, a duplicate of Mega's own blade popped out, both robots drawing closer, their blades meeting with a resonating 'shnnk!'.

Sliding together until they reached an upright position, the two swordsmen stood perfectly still, blades at the ready, yet waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Though the question remained, just which of them would make that critical step in striking first? Better yet, there also lie the possibility that was exactly what the other was counting on.

"Oh, forget this!" a deep voice from behind groaned, thundering steps making the room shake as the owner of said steps and voice drew closer. "I don't need no sword to take you out!"

Mega whirled around, completely abandoning his initial focus on Proto Man in order to successful dodge the incoming blow from behind, Guts Man's fist just barely grazing the side of his golden helmet. Though he found himself having to defend himself from an incoming blade as well, he quickly lifting his sword up to block the weapon.

"Hey! This fight's mine, you big lug!" the shades wearing DLN lectured. "You and Snippy go play with the dog!" he then swiped the blade forward, forcing Mega Man to jump back, Proto in turn pursuing him.

Guts and Cut (his name was NOT Snippy!) Man directed their gaze towards the Rush 'horse', of whom was scraping his hooves on the ground, readying himself for a charge. Honestly, he never realized just how much power came with longer limbs. Spying a nearby pillar, the former foreman grabbed ahold of the collection of fortified stone and with one, firm yank forward, the foundation was unable to resist the Robot Master's superior power, the middle portion of the pillar being yanked out of place and held over his head. Rush knew immediately what the bulky android was planning to do, and given what he had just witnessed his 'master' do, the robotic dog's usually simplistic programming found itself growing somewhat fanciful and creative. As the broken piece of pillar was tossed in his direction, rolling at the horse/dog at a rapid pace, Rush waited for the opportune moment before lifting his hooves off of the stony ground, galloping right over the incoming obstacle and once the two Robot Masters were in his sights, he opened his maw, a deep, seething heat steadily making its way up his throat.

"What the?!"

Flames. A searing wave of flames poured out from the dog/horse's maw, both robots nearly licked by the barrage from the stupor they found themselves in before promptly rolling out of the way. "Hey! You can't do that!" Guts Man roared, pointing at Rush before what he had just exclaimed began to filter through his processor. "Can he?"

Cut Man let out an exasperated sigh, not having much time, let alone motivation to answer as another wave of fire was heading their way.

A short distance away, the blades of both dueling robots continued to strike and clang against each other, the impact of blades meeting each other echoing throughout the expansive chamber as strike after strike was sent in the others' direction. Proto slunk back as his younger sibling's sword swiped at his abdomen, whilst Mega in turn was forced to duck as his brother's sword came right towards him, just barely scraping the top of his helmet in his downward maneuver. This however, seemed to unintentionally create an opening for the other android to go in, the shades wearing robot thrusting downward. Thankfully for the Blue Bomber, there was plenty of room to roll around, particularly to the side, leaving his brother's sword planted firmly in the ground whilst he managed to get back up to his feet. This reprieve was short lived, unfortunately, as Proto Man's sword had managed to be wrought out from its place, the two brothers back in the same deadly dance as before.

* * *

Well, well, well. This WAS a pleasant surprise.

True, she had seen a good number of skirmishes and battles throughout her years, yet from what she was seeing, indeed, the old man and those mechanical toys of his weren't lying.

This blue skinned humanoid was rather skilled. For a creation of mortal beings of course.

Still, around this time, she had decided that she had seen enough. Enough to where simply reclining in the shadows as a neutral observer failed to satisfy her any longer.

No, now the time had come. He was right in her sights, and along with the three other beings here, completely unaware of her presence, and perhaps her very existence.

Something of which, as a smile began to form on her features, she would make into quite a discovery for all of them.

And perhaps, their last.

 **Note: While it doesn't go too far fetched, here's where things get a little weird. That said, here's hoping you enjoyed and I look forward to reading reviews! Thank you!**


	4. So Familiar a Gleam

**Note: Chapter 4 here, and here's hoping I can get this little thing out of the way soon. I've finally gotten back on Black Convergence (and Missing Episodes, though the former now has a semi-proper outline), so I need to get this done soon. Albeit, I still want to give it a satisfying enough end and whatnot, so here's hoping I don't disappoint!  
**

 **Chapter 4: So Familiar a Gleam  
**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

'What?' had been the first thing to enter both of their minds as their eyes spied the small, black box blinking and beeping below them. Right underneath them, hidden away, just out of sight, yet still ever present. Had it really been that close the entire time?

Whatever the case may be, ultimately, both space-faring men had come to the conclusion that such details mattered not at the moment. No, what was important was that this thing be reduced to a smoking, smoldering, broken down shell of its former self, never to properly function or draw anyone through its gateway into the mind again. The man on the left took it upon himself to do just that, his hands grasping the horrid little device and lifting it high over his head, pulling his arms back far enough to where, even if he didn't get it right the first try, there would undoubtedly be some damage left from his throw.

Still, despite his eagerness to rid themselves of this terrible thing, a thought struck him in that short span of time, just before he let the object fall forward to the ground. The knight, no, Mega Man…what would become of him? His and his fellow crewmate's knowledge regarding the device and its capabilities were limited at best, even with getting a full-on experience of what it was truly capable of, but all the same, therein lie a plethora of possibilities, not all of them in favor of their rescuer. Better yet, where was he now? Where were all those robots now? Still fighting amongst themselves in that desolate castle? And should he indeed smash this thing to pieces, where would they go? Could they go anywhere? If so, how? Those three had to have invaded their minds from somewhere, so would they simply return there?

These questions and more flooded his brain, and with that, to his chagrin, his hesitance in turn began to strengthen. What if, just what if he, by sheer accident, would doom their savior in this very act? Even with Mega Man's pleading to destroy the device, did he entirely understand it either?

"What are you doing?" his partner asked. "Go on! Smash it!"

What if…just what if…he was about to make a terrible mistake?

"Whoa, wait a minute." At first, he believed that his comrade had finally come to the same conclusion as he, yet upon realizing what he was pointing to, as well as why, the astronaut found himself astounded by what they were both seeing. "Is it supposed to be blinking like that?"

* * *

It was so sudden, so instantaneous that, when it had occurred, everyone was taken aback.

While the interior of this simulated castle was far from well lit, there was still at least some light provided via the torches lining the walls. So when each and every one of them suddenly extinguished themselves, the entire chamber became enveloped in complete darkness, leaving all five machines running blind, whether into each other or straight into a nearby pillar or wall.

"Ah!" Mega Man experienced such right away, the diamond-shaped gem affixed to his helmet making contact with the aged stone and sending him falling to the floor, flat on his...wait a minute. His helmet? As in, his normal helmet? "What the…" he openly exclaimed, feeling around his head and discovering that, to his shock, the helmet of gold was gone. It wasn't as if it had just fallen off his head due to the little tumble! He FELT it still upon his head as he fell! Even as he felt around for it, the Blue Bomber found no trace of it. It was as if the very thing dissipated out of existence! And not just the helmet, his entire suit of armor was gone!

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?!" Mega heard Cut Man bark out, his question soon followed by the sound of him bumping into something assumedly rather sturdy.

"Ow!" that was Guts Man. "Watch it!"

"You watch it!"

"You're bigger than I am!"

"Yeah, well...well...you're a pipsqueak!"

"Both of you, shut up!" and that was definitely Proto Man. "I can't think straight with you two idiots blabbing on about who ran into who!"

If not for the fact he was in the same position as them, Mega Man would've found his sibling's outburst rather amusing. Of course, that also brought forth a slew of other realizations, all of which further served to make this turn of events more and more baffling. One, whilst the banter of the other three was going on, his audio receptors had yet to hear any indication regarding the whereabouts of his dog. Second, the torches had gone out, yes, yet why weren't his optics going into night vision mode? The overwhelming blackness all around them surely would have triggered that built in feature by now. And third, and perhaps the most strange and bizarre of all, why did this occurrence bring forth such a twisting knot in his abdomen?

He didn't even have a stomach, yet it was undeniable that there was a greatly uncomfortable sensation developing in that particular region. Some detection, dare he say, some sense or even 'instinct' that there was something amiss here. 'Something…' he thought, continuing to look around blindly in the unnaturally thick veil of black. 'Something's wrong.'

Then, as if answering a shared, subconscious desire, all present soon became aware that...there was a light.

Small and in little more than thin, white streams, yet there was no mistaking it: from a wall to the north in what was formerly a seemingly endless room, cracks in the brick had formed, allowing the small rays to pour in from behind the wall. The amount was far from decent enough to allow anyone to see much of anything, yet some among the group, Mega and Proto specifically, had begun to inch closer towards the source of white, hot light. Placing his hand on the wall, it was then that seemingly, as if waiting for someone among them to draw closer, Mega Man noticed that there was a source of sound located from behind the wall. And while he couldn't entire be sure, he could've sworn that some source or body of water lay behind the brick barrier. Something was running, like a river or a stream...but how?

"Proto Man…" the Blue Bomber began, tone even and firm. He tried to keep his growing anxieties at bay, but the answer he received from his renegade sibling only served to further amplify them.

"Wily's the one that directs the scenes. We just star in them. And unless he's feeling a little experimental, then...I got nothing."

What in the world was happening?

"What the-" Proto Man exclaimed, Mega Man then seeing that the brick wall was coming apart. Surely he hadn't put THAT much pressure on it to cause such a thing! Again, it seemed rather coincidental.

Drawing back as the small section of wall collapsed, the light was allowed to pour in full force, the sudden amount being allowed inside the chamber momentarily blinding both DLNs. Yet once their eyes adjusted, both machines found themselves faced with a scene that left both speechless.

"I think I'm beginning to believe you now." Mega Man confessed, he and Proto not even acknowledging the approaching Cut and Guts Man, Rush in turn following them close behind.

The source of the running water had been found, yet that was far from all. Indeed, what lay behind the wall drew everyone forward, the very area that none knew existed seemingly bearing some sort of magnetic force, forcibly pulling everyone's focus and igniting a sense of unnatural fascination. Basked in the palish light of a full moon, a vast and expansive garden presented itself before them, a pathway of cobblestone serving as the entrance and lined with a plethora of bright, colorful, flowering flora, ranging from Bluebells to Heathers to large, fat thistles. Further up ahead, where a set of cone-shaped trees stood at either corner of the square center, a fountain of white marble poured out water from a pot held by a Pygmalion-esque statue of a woman bearing a set of wings, said wings spread outward in such a way to where she appeared to be an angel of some sorts. Her eyes, whilst blank and bearing no etched indications of a pupil or even an iris, they still held an undeniable draw to them, she seeming to silently beckon for her 'guests' to come into this newly discovered place.

And, to everyone's collective surprise, their feet had begun taking them forward before they could even process what, let alone why any of this was before them. Even as they found themselves able to detect a pleasant aroma of fertile flowers in bloom, the question as to why, let alone how, came with a startling delay for something that should've been noted immediately. In fact, as they continued on, each of them found that they were beginning to ponder why they had been battling each other beforehand. Yes, there was a mission, a mission that Mega Man and his dog had intruded upon, yet to find such a gorgeous place...such a beautiful, lovely place...it made said mission begin to lose its importance. Wily...Wily could wait for either side, for now, they wanted to delve further into this concealed haven.

They wished to come and get an up close view of the ivory angel.

The metallic quintet stopped at the outer rimming of the fountain, the unsteady, but still breathtaking visage of the full moon reflecting on the water's surface. Mega Man stepped forward, suddenly finding his legs beginning to give out on him. Placing his hands on the flattened area of the rim, the Blue Bomber found himself gazing upon his own reflection, noting that, even if he found himself unable to care too much, his optics appeared to be 'off' in some ways. Despite the ever present light of the lesser star in the sky above, his eyes appeared to be growing dull and hazy, a thick fog clouding over them, he barely able to make out where his pupils had gone, as they had seemingly 'formed' with his irises-

SPLASH!

The sensation of chilled liquid on his face was what he registered first, though the fact that someone had up and thrust him into the fountain came soon after.

"What the-" Mega Man began, pausing for a moment to spit out some water that had gotten into his mouth. It was then that he heard another splash, this one being beside him and unlike himself, the one who created the sound had about plunged their entire head into the water before drawing themselves out. "What are you doing-"

"Something we needed to do the moment we stepped out here." Proto Man answered, giving his head a light shake to dispel any lingering wetness. "I'll handle those two. You deal with your mutt."

He had a thousand and then some questions flooding through his processor, yet he couldn't argue with Proto's suggestion. Scooping up some liquid in his buster, he turned and aimed at his dog's face, applying just enough pressure to where the water was released and sent in Rush's direction.

"Bwarf!?" it seemed to do the trick, the baffled cries of the two Robot Master's following soon after.

"Hey! What'cha do THAT for?!" Guts Man angrily questioned, he then directing his attention to Mega Man. "And why are you just standing around? He's right there! Get him!"

"No one's getting anyone, you dolt!" Proto snapped. "Haven't you begun to realize that there's something incredibly wrong here?"

"Huh? Well…" the larger android paused for a moment, surveying the environment. "Now that you mention it, I can't exactly remember Wily saying he had a thing for gardening."

It was brief, so much so that no one even took notice, yet the mentioning of the term seemed to 'awaken' something in Cut Man for the smallest of seconds, his scissors unconsciously moving by themselves. The sight of all this foliage, cutting, trimming...logging? The train of thought, familiar and profound as it was, ultimately lost its power the moment it came up, the scissor-wielding robot's systems immediately banishing this string of words from his processor, forcing him to direct his thinking to somewhere else.

Somewhere recent, and now, more than ever, something that shouldn't have ever been brushed off, Wily's orders or not. "You look like you've got something to say, Snippy." Proto Man observed. "Don't suppose you'd care to share?"

Cut Man was somewhat taken aback by the sight of multiple eyes all being directed at him, yet in a way, it didn't surprise him that it would eventually come to this. "Do YOU think it's a glitch?"

"What?" Proto asked, confused.

"Do you think that there's a glitch in the transmitter?"

"Why are you asking me? It's not like Wily was going to...wait." the scarf wearing robot paused. "You saw something like this before?"

"Well, no. Not like this." Cut Man answered, gesturing to the gardenscape all around them. Honestly, it was bringing back something to him, but it just couldn't get through. "But there WAS something off with the second time Wily sent us into somebody's head."

It was then that it happened for the azure machine. He knew not why, yet the conversation he had with the head of security came back to him. The man's 'prophetic vision' of his attack on the space center was Wily's work, that was obvious by now, yet what he had said to him simply refused to leave his mind. "Like what?" he finally spoke up. He had to know. "Like someone else was there when they weren't supposed to be?" Cut Man's eyes widened. It made no sense, yet if his hunch was right, then..then what? "Was it a woman-"

"Yeah!" Cut Man didn't even get to answer, his larger partner immediately inserting himself into the conversation. "A woman! That's what we told Wily when we…" the larger robot paused. It took a few moments, but it finally began to dawn on him the reason as to why Mega Man had even asked such a thing.

"You saw her too?" this reply came not from either of the Robot Masters, but from Proto Man himself, he too now growing rather excited, and surprisingly enough, somewhat unnerved.

"No." Mega shook his head. "But he was sure that he saw her. Swore his life on it even."

"Did he say anything about hair?" Proto continued. "Or anything about how she looked?"

'So...you're the one I have to thank for the arrest.' the Blue Bomber thought, his expression growing far less amiable in regards to his 'sibling'. "Nothing aside from how beautiful she was. And how apparently shocked 'I' was when 'I' noticed she was there."

"You said something about hair." Cut Man interrupted, directing his attention to Proto Man. "Was it...green?"

'No way.' he thought. 'No freaking way.' Even with half his face concealed from view, it was clear that Proto was completely flabbergasted. "With turquoise eyes?"

It was Guts Man's turn to respond, he in turn doing so with a simple nod. No one said more, and whilst Mega Man was far from as 'informed' as the other three were, yet it was clear that, at least from what he could gather, the landscape around them all was far from the first oddity to manifest in these past few hours. Of course, said realization brought with it another question, something of which the Blue Bomber wasn't sure he wanted answered.

For getting out of here meant maybe finding a different way compared to how they all got in.

 **Back on Earth**

What in the world was taking them so long?! Wily surveyed the monitor in the van, the picture still displaying his machines' destination. And (not that he was actually entertaining Proto or heck, Cut or Guts Man's ridiculous concerns) he had checked the settings of the transmitter several times already. So what was the hold up?!

'Those men aboard should've be scarred right into the palm of my hand! The other hapless fools did everything perfectly! The only thing to go wrong was that blasted Mega Man avoiding my car bomb-'

Mega Man...the scientist's teeth began to grind against each other. In a sense, he shouldn't have been so surprised. If anything, the blue pest's intervention was ultimately inevitable. Still, how dare he, he thought. How DARE he come in just when everything was about to wrap up perfectly! How dare he-

"Hm?"

Wait a moment. Wily's screen began to fizz out, the old man puzzled, yet ultimately assumed that the technology was simply being faulty. A hard knock to the screen brought the sight of the ship once again, yet in the span of time between the fizzing static and the restoration of a clear image, the old man found himself pondering whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him. It was impossible, not to mention illogical as well. Mainly because there WERE no glitches in his transmitter...yet with that, he found himself struggling to explain what his eyes had managed to catch. After all, he certainly didn't remember putting a garden in as a projected environment.

 **?**

Split up or stay in a group. These two options were thrown around once it became clear that both parties were no longer able, let alone willing to continue their respective missions so long as they were trapped in this unfamiliar place. As they all discovered rather quickly, the way they had all come in through had seemingly vanished, along with any semblance of the darkened chamber they had come from. In its place was simply more winding paths and flowerbeds, the garden beginning to resemble more of a extravagant maze that stretched ever onward. Thus, debates over whether to travel together as one or split off into small units came up, both of which had their own pros and cons. One such con being whether or not, by some small chance, 'she' was somewhere amongst this fertile collection of flowering plants and bushes, and if so, what would occur should they find each other?

Ultimately though, the main concern shared amongst the five was escaping from this place, and like it or not, they could cover more ground if they were going seperate directions. In this, however, Mega Man took charge, immediately deciding that Proto Man would be accompanying him while Rush would go with Cut and Guts Man. When questioned as to why, his answer was rather straightforward and, to Proto's surprise, a little harsh.

'Because if any of you decided to stash anymore 'car bombs', I'd rather they go off with just two or three around instead of all five of us.'

Not long after that, the two groups went their separate ways, Mega and Proto heading east, Cut, Guts, and Rush heading west. Yet as both groups continued on through the winding pathways of freshly smelling flora, something of which should've been impossible, it was becoming more and more clear that instead of a maze, this place was far more akin to that of a labyrinth. Only question was, where was the exit, if there ever was one?

"I swear, all these things look the same." Proto Man outwardly complained, looking to the budding thistles and heathers. "For a place as big as this, it doesn't have a lot of variety."

"Not exactly." Mega Man answered. Indeed, while he wasn't being as vocal, he found himself beginning to experience the effects of displacement and uncertainty as well. 'Perhaps we should've all stuck together. At least then, Rush could fly around and search from above.'

"And not to mention, why these specific flowers?" Proto Man continued, his tone still indicating he was expressing his discontentment and growing frustration, but also a sense of intrigue. "It might be nothing, but these choices just seem very...specific. As if this place is trying to have some sort of theme to it."

Theme? Hmm...now that he thought about it, this gardenscape DID begin to have something of a resemblance to someplace he had seen before. Not any place he had been to personally, no, yet indeed, the flowers, the scent they had produced, the chilled breeze perpetuating the entire area...for some strange reason, a small snippet from his memory bank came to him. Something about a short visit Dr. Light had taken in his youth to visit extended family.

"If we should ever get the chance to, I must remember to take you two to the Abbotsford House Garden. I remember, my cousins and I all had ourselves a picnic by the River Tweed just a short ways from the place!"

Abbotsford House Garden...but...that was all the way in Scotland.

 **A Distance Away**

'Stupid dog.' the bulking Robot Master angrily mused as he and his fellow DLN were being forced to keep up a steady pace, Mega Man's insufferable red mutt behind them.

Essentially, while they were all more than ready to get out of here, if not just to find assurance in the fact that there WAY a way out, but did that HAVE to include the stupid dog serving as some sort of warden? Any sort of lagging behind or if one of them was going too slow for his liking, Rush would immediately make it known, a low growl emitting from him or sometimes even a little snap. Guts Man was not as intimidated, yet Cut Man, namesake and signature weapon aside, wasn't as willing to see just how sharp those teeth were. This pattern had continued on for a good while, time becoming harder and harder to keep track of, let alone where they even were with the seemingly looping and repetitive setting. And with this in mind, perhaps it was inevitable that eventually, one of them would grow to be rather tired of it.

"URAGHHH!" Guts Man suddenly hollered, Cut Man and Rush practically leaping out their titanium shells. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR HOURS AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY CLOSER TO GETTING OUT OF HERE!"

Neither Cut Man or Rush could entirely agree as to whether or not it had truly been 'hours', though given how alike everything around them seemed, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch if they had been going in circles the entire time. Knowing whom he was with, the ruby canine could only hope that this wasn't the case.

"Hm?" the scissor-headed Robot Master turned to the go, feeling the mutt's paw touching his lower leg. "What? What do you want?" Rush gestured to the raging Guts Man, Cut Man in turn immediately protesting. "Yeah right, mutt. There's no way. Besides, it's not like I can go and pin him down-ow!" Looking down, the machine grimaced as the dog's teeth bit into his lower leg. True, they weren't applying enough pressure to break through the boot, yet should he decide to, the dog could indeed do such if one of his current charges didn't comply. "All right, all right!" Cut Man pleaded, raising his hands up in defeat. "I'll...see what I can do."

Taking handfuls of soil and tossing them into the air, the collections of dirt blew in the wind, being carried far away from them, let alone near any exit. This only served to frustrate Guts Man even further, another roar emitting from his vocals and he had grabbed one of the stone edges of one of the flowerbeds and began applying pressure, the surface already being forced to crack under his tremendous force.

Of course, that was then he head the familiar 'snip snip' of a pair of scissors, he momentarily ceasing his assault on the flowerbed and turning to see his companion snipping off the blossoms of some of the flowers.

"What are you doing?"

Cut Man turned to the larger machine, giving a sideways glance towards Rush as well. "Ask him. He made me do it." still, bitter as he was towards the canine, the red Robot Master couldn't deny that his tactic was working. "It won't help us get out of here faster, but at least we'll keep track of where we are." he then gestured towards the plants he had cut, blossoms completely gone and leaving only a long stem in his wake. "We'll cut these for each row we go through." he then took his Rolling Cutter off his head and let it loose, the blades 'decapitating' each and every flowering plant in the bed before returning to him. "That way, we'll at least not go through the same place twice." he then gazed down towards the dog. "There. Happy?" he hissed, growing even more bitter as a satisfied smirk traced Rush's muzzle.

This was beginning to grow a little boring.

From atop her perch, she could see that her quarry had gone quite a bit a ways from her, the fools not even realizing that they had come right to her only to pass her by. She wasn't complaining, as she had wanted it this way, yet there was a point where the build up got to be too much.

Besides, it was doubtful on just how much longer she could keep this illusion up. Truthfully, she had never done something such a this. Her race weren't strangers for being devourers and manipulators of energy, especially that of humans, yet most of what was around her, let alone the form she was currently taking, was not due to her own power. And because of that, she could sense that the energy around her was beginning to wane.

Just as well, though. She had grown tired of waiting anyway.

"What the?!" Cut Man stepped back, neither he nor Guts or Rush believing what they were seeing before them at first. The entire flowerbed that had just been cut had, the moment after they had been trimmed down, had begun to seemingly grow back.

Or at least they had assumed that such would happen. That was something they could expect to a degree.

Instead, however, instead of the stems lengthening and the blossoms popping back up, thick, winding briars began to pour out from the trimmed plants and soil of the flowerbed, said briars pouring out from the barriers of stone and onto the pathway, some of them outright breaking through the cracks they created in their wake. Without a word, it was a shared agreement that the three needed to probably make themselves scarce, particularly away from here. Yet as they ran along, it became clear that, to their dismay, the thorny, winding ropes were somehow moving faster then they could, some pathways they went down being blocked by the rapidly growing plants.

 **A Short Distance Away**

"Left!"

Mega and Proto dashed in said direction, their boots pounding against the stone beneath, ultimately skidding to a stop when the briars wound around and blocked their way.

"Another left!" Mega Man called out, he and the scarf-wearing robot turning to the side and going down yet another pathway, only to have the same thing happen.

"Do something!" Proto Man shouted, Mega Man in turn unconsciously bringing out his buster cannon.

"You could probably do more damage with a car bomb, should you be feeling a little generous."

"For the last time, I didn't put that there!"

The Blue Bomber didn't argue any further, as really, it would do either of them little good. Aiming at a particularly thick collection of the winding shrubs, Mega released a collection of plasma directly into the growing hoard, the concentrated blast tearing through and rendering whatever it hit of the plants into singed, if not completely melted twigs and kindling.

A small smile of triumph traced his features...though only for a moment.

"No way…" the gaping hole left in the thicket had begun to be filled up again, more briars and thorny branches growing to fill up the hollow area that had been left in the blast's wake.

And there was no chance for the azure android or his current companion to even try such a tactic again, for as if sensing what they were about to do, some of the briars began to twist and coil around each other, creating a long, thorny tendril of sorts that shot out right for the two robots, forcing both of them to back away and take another route.

This pattern of running, having a newly grown thicket block their intended path, and running in another direction went on for a good length of time, neither Mega or Proto were entirely sure on how long. Time in of itself seemed to have no say or weight here, let alone any logic. And while yes, it had perhaps been such before, given that all of this was technically a 'dream', there was definitely something different about this. There was some sense of intent behind it. And though neither of them could say for sure, it being no more than a hunch, it almost appeared to be that these thickets were trying to 'lead' them somewhere.

Eventually, that conclusion seemed to be proven at least somewhat correct, Mega and Proto seeing Cut, Guts, and Rush coming in opposite of them, the fountain with the angel perched atop of it in their sights as well.

"Rush!" the Blue Bomber shouted, the robotic dog wasting no time in leaping at his 'owner'. "You ok there, boy?"

"Hey! What about us?!" Guts Man shouted, clearly offended, though Cut Man dismissed him.

"Right now, NONE of us are going to be ok if we don't find a way out of here!"

"Wow, this HAS to be a dream if you're actually saying something mildly intelligent." Proto Man snidely remarked, the red Robot Master growling in response.

Still though, the fact was that, now more than ever, they all needed to escape from here, the area having become far less inviting, not to mention potentially dangerous. Almost anything that once held the appearance of a picturesque garden was either rendered obsolete or was completely torn asunder by this new, far less aesthetically pleasing landscape of briars and thorns. The skies above were still dark, yet the pale, beautiful light of the full moon had been darkened to a vibrant, saturated orange, a full blood moon instead of a simple, yet far less intimidating full moon. Still, for all these changes, it seemed that once all of them made it to the fountain, the chaos of the growing thistles stopped. They were still there, replacing the once present bluebells, heathers, and thistles, yet they all appeared to have retreated back into the barriers set by the flowerbeds (or those that hadn't been broken). Buds of a new sort of flowering plant had begun to grow, soon blossoming into roses that ranged from light pink to a deep red or maroon, large, fat, and fanning out their petals.

If all of this had changed in just the last few moments, everyone thought, then surely the fountain must've-

...PLOP…

Something had fallen into the water. Something small and barely making a small splash, yet it was enough to gather everyone's attention to the fountain and confirm that yes, indeed, the monument had been affected. Just not in a way that anyone could've expected.

Some changes were plausible and somewhat predictable, such as the white marble becoming obsidian, almost blending in with the darkness of the sky, and the once fresh, clean water that poured from it had become a strange, violet liquid that, while clear, was far more alien than what it had initially been. So then, what of the angel?

WHOOSH…

The beating of wings was heard. Large wings. Wings that, as the collection of baffled machines saw, far resembled anything to what the beautiful visage had displayed before. Long and membranous these appendages were, the blood moon shining its light down on them and their owner, they having situated themselves atop of the fountain where the angel had once been. Two pairs of smaller wings seemed to be present as well, only these were seemingly situated on their head, presumably a little ways up above where their ears would've lay (assuming they HAD ears). Their pose of holding the pot had mimicked the angel's perfectly, and whilst no one could clearly see it, it was general assumed that, in contrast to the statue yet again, this replacement had themselves are far less conservative attire.

Everyone's eyes were centered upward at this new sight. Despite their collective shock, there was one defining feature that, even with all the differences and aura this new decoration presented, the ethereal, unnatural beauty that the angel bore was also found in this new addition. Just a different breed of beauty. A darker, more perilous breed.

Mega Man found himself unable to tear his gaze away from this new statue, regarding it with both suspicion and a blooming admiration. Perhaps even desire? He looked on, studying and taking in everything he could about the sculpture.

He looked at the statue…

And the statue opened its eyes, looking back at him.

 **Note: The grand reveal...also, yeah, if anyone hasn't guessed yet, a certain succubus has decided to invite herself into the fray, finally seeing fit to introduce herself. Again, I'm aware that she doesn't have this much power in the games, yet there WILL be a reason for this. I'm not a fan of overpowering characters, whether they are favorites or not. That said, here's hoping you enojoy! Please review, as it really does help motivation wise!  
**


	5. And I Know it's True

**Note: First review, yay! Thank you so much, verifiaman! Here's hoping that you continue and that I please you with future installments! Anyhow, I realized upon getting this from Google Docs to here that a small chunk was left out, yet errands (printing out art pieces for Vocational Rehab and a hair trimming) prevented me from getting it done until later. No matter though, as I'm essentially a vampire and feel alive at night.  
**

 **Chapter 5: And I Know it's True  
**

 **Mega Man © of Capcom**

She looked back.

She opened her eyes and looked back.

She opened her eyes and looked back. "You seem surprised." And she spoke. The creature, no longer of stone, and definitely not an angel in any way, spoke. "Though, I suppose I should be expecting just as much." Her eyes surveyed the small crowd gathered around the formerly calming centerpiece of this fertile labyrinth. "Seeing as you're only seeing my lovely visage for the first time."

Still cloaked in shadow she was, the fat, blood moon beating its bright, orange light behind her, she spreading her membranous wings, said wings showing themselves to have quite the impressive wingspan. In one, swift movement, the figure jumped, soaring high into the air, becoming little more than a darkened speck in the abyss above before seemingly allowing gravity to take her, coming down in freefall, head just mere feet away from making contact with the ground.

"Wait-" Mega Man found himself beginning to say, as if by accident. In that moment, he momentarily lost sight of the fact that this being had just FLOWN, and for that matter, held abilities that would probably save her if she so wished.

And so it was, as in an instant, akin to how a cat twists its body to make sure its feet are the first thing to make contact with the ground, the winged woman flipped her airborne form upright, coming down to the cobblestone below. Though instead of a hard impact, a light 'thud' was all that was heard, as if she weighed just a little bit more than a feather.

"It's her!" Cut Man exclaimed, pointing towards the woman. "It's her! It's her!"

"Well, yes, it's me." she answered, shrugging her shoulders casually. "If anything, this just proves I made myself a decent enough entrance."

She stepped forward, becoming more visible to the five, and once she had, even those who had seen her before were still taken aback. Her voice had served as enough of an indication, tone and pitch presenting the image of a young, yet just old enough, vibrant, and sensually charged individual with just a touch of softness that could belong to no other sex but the feminine. But the body that said voice belonged to made it all the more complete.

A body, toned and muscular, yet only just enough so that her womanly shape could still be the dominant trait, her waist slim and her bosom proportioned just right. Skin, of a slightly pale complexion, yet smooth and without blemish or flaw. Eyes, saturated, vibrant turquoise that bore a slight glow to them, pupils rounded slits as if they belonged to that of a cat. Hair, a light shade of green that came to an end around her mid-back, the light breeze still present in the area playing with the strands, having them dance and sway. Attire, nothing short of promiscuous and otherworldly, consisting of a low cut, darkly colored leotard with a heart shaped cut below her breasts and a lining of white, flowery cloth lining the upper portion. Cuffs of orange covered her arms until they reached her hands, cutting off at the wrist and angling upward towards the middle fingers. Below this were leggings of violet, bearing embezzled shapes of a darker violet in the shape of bats, her ensemble completed with a pair of high-heeled, black boots that reached up to just below her knees. She bore two pairs of wings, one affixed to her back, the other far smaller, and bizarrely enough, affixed to her head. The outer material was that of of ebony while the inner wing bore the color of a deep purple, she folding the lower pair behind her back whilst the upper pair only lightly reacted to the breeze.

"And," she spoke again, directing her attention to Mega Man, approaching the Blue Bomber. "While you concern was misguided, it IS appreciated. Such a gentleman to take the safety of a complete strange into account."

Mega Man felt something within himself, almost some sort of 'spark' or 'charge' ignite from inside. This...none of this was normal, yet he found his body unwilling to cooperate with him, his feet cemented into the place he stood. And judging from the reactions of everyone else, he too was far from the only one afflicted, only further amplifying the need to get out of here.

"What…" the cerulean android began. "Who ARE you?"

"Who...oh, yes!" the woman cried out, halfway bemused yet shocked, as if she had discovered something she had forgotten to do. "You've seen my face, yet you don't know anything about me! As I know so little about you." she said, eyeing her inquirer. "Well, no time like the present, yes?" she placed her right hand on her chest and gave something of a small bow. "Morrigan Aensland of the Aensland house, daughter of King Belial, ruler of upper Makai. For future reference, you metal beings, or rather, your human creators would refer to me as a succubus." her hand reached for the blue robot, lightly taking him by the chin. "And you, must be the 'Blue Pest' I've been hearing so much about. I've just been dying to meet you."

Blue Pest...honestly, the little jab meant nothing compared to everything else he had just heard.

Aensland house, a King Belial, Makai? His processor went to work in drawing comparisons and references to these terms and names, Mega's blue eyes widening upon finding one particular tidbit.

"Succubus? As in..."

"Succubare? To lie beneath? Yes..."

"And...Belial? The demon, Belial?"

The winged woman, or rather, this 'Morrigan' individual, shook her head. "Not exactly. Nor is it the case for me. Contrary to what you may be thinking, despite my father's name and race, neither my father or I are creatures of hell. My line of succubi is a natural race of beings, something of a more evolved vampire if you will. We inhabit Makai, of which is far more diverse a place than whatever image of the other option for a soul's destination you can conjure up. It is a realm somewhat similar and separate from yours, yet the barrier between them is even thinner." her hand went from his chin to stroking the blue machine's cheek. "I should know as much, seeing as this was where I officially entered into existence."

He wished to deny it. He wished that he could deny all of this. This...this was impossible. Absolutely impossible! And yet, he was here. He and everyone else was here, in the presence of this...this demon. Yet she wasn't a demon. Not in the same vein as initially thought, or so she claimed. Mega Man couldn't stop the groan coming from him, all of this was just about to make his head short circuit!

"No way." before he could voice his remaining unwillingness to accept any of this, Mega found that his sibling beat him to it. "You...you're not…" Proto Man stammered, cursing his vocals. Why in the world was this so difficult to get out? "You're nothing more than the transmitter going out of whack! I told the old coot something was up with it, and look! All of this is happening and you're here, saying all this nonsense about a 'demon world' and how you're a demon, but not really." it was impossible. He...he refused to believe any of this. It...it couldn't be. His processor couldn't, wouldn't accept this. "And that, somehow, you're some evolution of a vampire...of which aren't real either…"

Morrigan centered her attention on this detractor, her features hardening, wings atop of her head lowering. Still, there was something of a curt smile on her lips, something of which no one entirely wished to see, even if her lips brought forth waves of flutters in the pits of their stomachs, another sensation none of them suspected they were capable of even having.

"Not real, hm?" the succubus withdrew her hand from Mega's cheek, steadily approaching Proto. "Not real…" she repeated, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"What are you doing?" Cut Man whispered harshly, eyes wide with panic. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"It's not like I'M afraid or anything, but...maybe you would watch what you say." Guts Man also added in. "Even if she isn't any of those things...she sure isn't normal."

"Quiet!" the scarf wearing DLN hissed. Everyone else might've been suckered into this nonsense, but that far from meant he had to join in on the madness. This was...she wasn't what she said she was, and he'd prove it! "Yeah, you heard me." Proto Man also recited. "Just like those are probably ninety-five percent silicon over overly stretched flaps of skin."

No one needed to be told what he was referring to, let alone that she did NOT particularly care for it, her smile quickly dissipating.

"Interesting you would say that." the winged woman stated, one of her massive wings beginning to unfold, independent of the other. "Because, for someone or something that is nothing more than a 'glitch' in that crack pot's toy," the appendage was behaving oddly. It wasn't able to be seen as clearly from Guts, Cut, or Proto Man's view, or even Rush's, yet Mega Man had a full view of Morrigan's back, his blue eyes widening in even more disbelief as the wing's very shape began to seemingly 'soften', as if it had somehow gained an unnatural flexibility. "Then surely something like would pass right through you!"

Fast.

Blindingly Fast.

That was the only conclusion Proto Man found himself able to reach as he became aware that he had been hit, his right, silver pectoral struck by a strange, black mass that had twisted itself around Morrigan's right arm and thrust itself forward with said arm, the metal shell on his chest cracking and denting as the sharpened end make contact. The impact had lifted the DLN off of his feet and sent him flying back, the sharpened brambles and twisting roots serving as the only sort of 'softness' Proto could've hoped to find as he made his landing, said landing echoing throughout the entire area.

Mega Man wasted no time springing into action. Car bomb or no, this woman had just made a grave mistake. Unfortunately, it seemed that his reaction had been anticipated, the wing that had twisted itself around her arm took its original shape and structure, the succubus lifting herself into the air just as Mega Man released a collection of fresh plasma.

"In the back?" Morrigan chided from her perch atop the fountain. "Seems that even your honor has its limits."

"You touched my brother!"

"No big deal to me though. If anything, it was actually sort of intelligent. Main question is why you didn't do it sooner?" she told her aggressor, her eyes lighting up and sporting a toothy grin. Oh, tonight was going to be an experience indeed!

 **Light's Lab**

"What's taking so long?" the blonde house keeper asked for the umpteenth time, unable to keep still. It would do little good, she knew, yet she found that she couldn't help herself.

"As I said the last time, Roll, I don't know." her creator in turn answered, growing more than a little frustrated with her repeating that particular question. Granted, her concern was merely for the azure robot he had just transferred via a replicated 'dream machine' of all things, so frankly, he had no answer for her of how long such a thing would take. Let alone if the Blue Bomber had even arrived to his destination! And whilst he was in no way blaming him, the fact of the matter was that Mega Man didn't exactly conjure up the best reference for him to follow. A photograph was one thing, yet it held not the accuracy, let alone the clarity a schematic could provide. He followed what he could, yet still, there WAS a possibility that maybe, just maybe, something could go wrong. 'Oh please, please don't tell me.' the bearded man silently prayed. 'PLEASE don't tell me that I might've just sent my Rock into some unknown, unreachable void!'

"Huh?" he didn't even register his other creation's voice at first, it taking her lightly shaking him to get his attention. "Hey, Doc," Roll began, gesturing towards the duplicate machine. "I don't suppose that means anything important, does it?"

Dr. Light's gaze turned away from the monitor to said machine, his blue eyes widening in both befuddlement and concern at what he was witnessing. The small diode stationed on the duplicate, out of nowhere, had suddenly begun to emit a strange, violet glow. It's emission was low at first, low enough to where the color was noticable, yet it far from overtook anything around it. Then, just moments after Roll had seemingly spotted it, it began growing in intensity.

"Doc?" Roll continued to observe the anomaly, albeit a good portion of her logic processor was alerting her of potential danger related to such curiosity. "I don't think I like this..."

"No," Light agreed, his teeth taking his bottom lip and grinding against the tender flesh. "I don't believe I do either."

 **?**

"Why are you doing this?!" Cut Man suddenly spoke up, having finally reached his limit on all of this. "Let us out of here!"

Morrigan tilted her head, bemused. "Is that a plea or a demand?"

"I...I just…" the scissor headed Robot Master stammered, stepping back as the woman leapt off her platform and landing but mere inches away. "You...how did you do this? A-Any of this? Before and now?"

"I didn't think it possible either. At least, not until a little more exploring of that old coot's invention. There's some force here, a lot of it. A lot of which lets you manipulated and shape the environment to your liking, right? So if you can do it, why can't I?" She chuckled Mega Man keeping an eye on her, especially her wings. Rush stood by, body arching back in a defensive pose.

Morrigan seemed to pay no mind though. Oh, she'd be giving one of them her full attention in due time, but currently, she found it becoming just a bit too crowded.

"And besides, that loon interrupted me during a little rendezvous I appointed with that so-called Mayor of yours. So, if anything, this is also compensation!"

"LOOK OUT-"

No warning of any kind could've prevented what occured next, and even if any sort of action had taken place, it would've resulted in the same.

Cut Man steadily became aware that, in the brief moment he saw something black rush before his eyes and disappear as soon as it had emerged, he felt somewhat…'loose'. As if a large amount of weight had been taken off his person. It was only when he stepped back did he find that, indeed, the latter had been the case. From his waist upward, he found himself 'sliding' forward, not even sure what was happening until he found himself falling face first into the ground, propping himself up with his arms and trying to lift himself off the cobblestone. Only, there was no support where his legs should've been. There was nothing. It was when he looked behind him did he see the reason why. Even when separated from him, his legs still acted out the same motions in trying to lift himself up.

"Cut Man!" Guts Man hollered, going over to the halved Robot Master, eyes wide in concern. Though the unusually soft expression didn't last long, it transforming into an echo of seething aggression, of which was directed towards the one that had done this.

"Oh relax, it's not as if he'll die from it." her eyes then turned to Mega Man. "Besides, it's your other friend here that I'm REALLY interested in."

"Yeah?" Guts Man growled, grabbing a nearby flower bed (or what used to be one) and lifting the entire rectangular structure out of the ground, cobblestone being ripped from its place due to the force of the robot's strength. "Well he's not going to be as tough on you as I AM!" with a small swing back as he lifted it over his head, the former forman demonstrated his prowess well as he sent the flower (briar) bed flying, right in the formerly enigmatic creature's direction.

Morrigan leapt off of the fountain as the projectile came in just mere feet away, the flower bed breaking apart as it made contact with the obsidian material of the decorative ornament. This far from deterred the former foreman, he outright rushing up towards the fountain and leaping in, grabbing at the stand where the winged woman had once been standing and exerting his force on the obsidian until he felt it begin to surrender to him. Mega Man had decided that his method was taking too long, so he began aiming and firing at Morrigan, his plasma blasts, unfortunately, not so effective when they went in one direction whilst she went in several, most of which were away from his projectiles.

'What in the world is taking so long?' the Blue Bomber couldn't help but wonder. 'Proto Man would've surely come by now.'

RUSTLE

Huh? What was that?

RUSTLE RUSTLE

And wait a minute, Cut Man was just there! Where was...what the?!

With one more heave, Guts Man finally managed to dislodge the darkened stand from the fountain and whirling around to face that green haired witch that dared do such a thing to Cut Man...only to find that Cut Man was gone.

No, that wasn't it. He was still judging by what the larger Robot Master was seeing, he perhaps wouldn't be for much longer. The upper half of Cut Man was tangled up in a collection of winding briars, coiling around his arms, chest, and head, some even over the blades of his Rolling Cutter, fastening the weapon shut to render it unusable. Mega Man, of all bots, was pulling and trying to drag him out of it, yet it was clear that he was failing, more and more of Cut Man sliding in further and further into the impossibly dense thicket. No sign of the lower half could be seen anywhere, it having presumably already been absorbed by the plants.

"Argh!"

And from the looks of it, the robot's head was quick to being absorbed as well.

Dropping the stand he had just hoisted out of place, Guts Man rushed over and pushed Mega Man out of the way, wasting no time in going to work in digging his metallic comrade out. Something that, despite the piles and piles of soil he was shoveling out, did nothing to stop the winding, coiling plants. And soon, even as he grabbed and pulled with all that he had, the scissor-headed robot disappeared in the foliage, the thorny vines covering where he had once been, as if to hide any evidence of anything being there.

"Wait, stop!" Mega Man cried out, the larger robot making his way out into the overabundant field of briars. "Get out of there, it's dangerous!"

Guts Man paid him no mind, his eyes searching desperately for any sign of the red and white android. If Proto Man would just hurry up and get over here, he'd at least have another hand to help-

"GAH!"

The Blue Bomber looked on in horror as a flurry of briars shot out of the collective mass, each seizing a limb of the robot in the middle of all of it. Guts Man was far from willing to simply allow them to take him, however, his struggles and twisting breaking and snapping a good dozen or so of them in half, and even more of them into splinters. Yet in their place, more came. For every one he snapped, five more would come. For every five, ten. And soon, it became around fifty or so, all slowly, yet steadily binding his limbs and rendering him virtually unable to move, and to his own horror, the former foreman found the dreadful things to begin traveling up his lower half, covering him entirely in winding vines.

It was suicide. He knew well what the results of his foolhardy attempt would be. And yet...and yet he found himself running towards the field and the sinking Robot Master anyway, buster ready to launch-

"Oh, leaving so soon?"

Mega Man didn't even turn his head before he became aware that his feet had left the ground, a softness being felt on the back of his helm. Judging by the arms wrapping around his chest, he didn't need to question WHAT exactly he was being pressed up against.

"Don't go yet." Morrigan cooed, her captive struggling against her hold. "The night's still young."

How, Mega Man thought. How in the world was she so strong?! Could she...could she truly be what she said she was?! How was that possible?! How was any of this possible?!

"And…" she turned the cerulean android's gaze towards the thicket, a single, outstretched hand being covered by the briars until it seemingly sunk into the ground. "Now, we can truly have ourselves a good time."

 **Note: Kind of noticed the word count as a little shorter than the past chapters, yet seeing as I'm not going for my 10,000 words limit with this, I suppose it isn't that big of a deal. Once again, thanks a lot to verifiaman for the review, and here's hoping that I get to see more input in the future!  
**


	6. Visions are Seldom What they Seem

**Note: Another chapter here, albeit this one is a bit more explanatory. Granted, I didn't want Mega and Morrigan to just jump into it, as there's got to be some stakes involved. That said, here's hoping you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6: Visions are Seldom What they Seem**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

BARK!

"GAH!" the winged woman yowled at the sudden pain shooting up her leg, she and her prize looking down to see a red, robotic canine sinking his teeth into the lower portion of her left leg.

"Rush!" Mega called out, the dog's ears perking up upon hearing his 'master's' voice, yet he dare not let go. "Rush, wait!" he dare not let go. Not ever. His front paws wrapped around the flying woman's leg and hoisted his lower half up, hind paws wrapping around her foot. "Rush-"

"Troublesome mongrel!" the otherworldly creature spat, the Blue Bomber noticing one of her wings unnaturally twisting and turning downward, flesh transforming and pulling itself into shreds, only to wind itself back together in a long, tightly coiled rope.

"ARF!" What was on the end of said rope would only been seen when it lunged out for the dog, a darkly colored, five 'fingered' claw of sorts clasping down on his throat and ripping him away from her leg, his teeth leaving behind indentions and tears as he was pulled from his place.

"Begone!" the wing lowered itself before pulling back up, the claw releasing Rush, Mega Man, to his shame, unable to do much more than watch helplessly as his darling 'pet' became less and less visible the further along he went, soon seemingly disappearing over the horizon of this controlled, hijacked environment.

Surely 'eaten' up by the ground below.

 **Light Residence**

"Forgive the unintentional reference, but what's up with this thing, Doc?"

"I-I don't know!" well, that answer would do them a lot of good! Truthfully, he wished he could tell his creation more than that, yet frankly, he was coming up completely empty. He wasn't even certain as to whether or not this 'development' of sorts bode either good or ill will for them.

Especially for Mega.

This was becoming too much, Roll could barely stand to simply allow her brother to go 'beam' himself into the heads of some guys that were off in outer space, and now...this, whatever it was?! Had the possibility of ten-thousand other things going wrong not crossed her mind, she would've been more than content, daresay, eager, to go over to the duplicate machine and shatter it to pieces! Or at the very least, shut it off!

Shut it off…

Shut it…

"Hey, Doc?" the blonde interjected, her creator tearing his attention away from the machine, albeit momentarily. "If Mega was going to go up to tell those guys what was going on, surely that'd involve destroying that little gadget of Wily's-"

BZZZT!

"What now?!" the bearded scientist groaned, the screen of the monitor becoming filled with static.

"Doc?" Roll asked, Dr. Light in turn shushing her.

"I think…" he began, not entirely certain himself. "...someone's trying to get in and communicate with us."

The screen continued with its display of flickering dots and jagged lines, yet amidst the ongoing buzzing, brief bits and pieces of more human-like sounds were heard.

"Hel-BZZ-o? H-BZZZT-lo?!"

And even from those bits and pieces, both the old man and automatonical young woman began to theorize just who was attempting to contact them, the replica continuing to emit its unnatural, violet light.

 **?**

It made no sense. Despite what he had just seen, who he had just witnessed getting practically 'eaten' by the unnaturally moving, twisting briars below, the Blue Bomber found himself overcome with a wave of heat upon realizing that his captor's well endowed bosom was cushioning the back of helmet. And even with the shame and embarrassment that came with it, Mega found himself doubting that his reaction was entirely his own, his processor beginning to also feel a bit 'slower'.

"So…" Morrigan began, a light shiver going through her catch as she brought her lips to his audio receptor, turquoise eyes analyzing the part of him as if she had discovered some exotic, undiscovered treasure, running her long-nailed fingers around the rim and dipping inside. "Tell me, what ARE you doing out here?"

Her touch...even in something like his receptor, he couldn't explain it, yet it felt so…"Tch!" Mega Man banished the thought (the lingering tingle, not so much) and redirected his line of focus. "What are you talking about?" he questioned, half to keep himself from letting these unfamiliar sensations from becoming too overwhelming. Whatever they were, he did NOT trust them one bit. If anything, what happened at that fountain was beginning to be looked back on with a larger amount of concern than before. "You just attacked my brother, Cut and Guts Man, AND my dog, and now you have the gall to-"

"I mean what are you doing HERE, silly!" the green haired seductress giggled, heat once again rising in Mega, though a twinge of anger was mixed in this one. "You've got no business here with those useless toys," she gestured out to the now empty collection of thorny plants. One of which she had just tossed aside more recently.

"Don't you dare call Rush a-

"So what was with that knight-getup?" she interrupted, having spent more than enough time even acknowledging anyone else aside from herself and her catch. "Did you come here for the sake of those two humans?"

"Essentially yes." the azure android answered. What for, he held no answer, as he owed this 'Morrigan' individual nothing. Still, along with this strange, growing sensation developing from within, he found himself steadily becoming a bit more...complacent. Just a bit.

"Aw, you fancy yourself as some sort of hero, I see!"

"It comes with the receipt. Besides, those two men were just that, two of many that've been victimized by Wily's new machine. He's been sending me running all over New York because of it!"

"Ah yes, that thing." Morrigan chuckled. "I'll admit, the old crackpot's little gadget made for some decent playtime."

"P-Playtime?"

"Yes, playtime." the demon confessed. "In fact," she paused, hoisting the blue robot up to where she could place her chin in the crook of his neck, essentially locking him in an inescapable embrace from behind. "If not for that crackpot interrupting a light snack I was just about to have, I would've never discovered that humans were capable of creating such curious things." her lips were just mere inches away from his metallic 'flesh' "Especially things such a you, my little boy blue."

Whether it was the close proximity of her lips or the infuriatingly fitting nickname she had bestowed upon him, Mega didn't wish to consider either, yet a light shudder coursed throughout his entire being. And whether said shudder was due to trepidation or excitement, he dare not dwell on it much either.

"You…" he stammered. What in the world was wrong with him? Better yet, what was she doing to him? "You are…" though perhaps, "You really are…" he already knew. "...what you say you are?"

Morrigan didn't answer, at least not vocally. A light caress on his chest plate served as her response.

"You...demons...your kind...they're real? Truly?"

Another touch, this one lower, her hand lightly, teasingly exploring his toned abdomen. Artificial it might've been, she thought, it was nonetheless enticing. "Are YOU what you say you are? Truly?" she asked back, a low giggle exiting her at her captive's display of nervousness.

"How much?"

"Pardon, love?"

"Don't-" 'Don't call me that.' was what was meant to fall from his lips, yet Mega never made it past the first word. "How much...how many of you are there? How…" he paused, pondering whether or not he even wished to utter such a thing. "How much is out there?" he should've stopped. "How much of it is real?" yet he was compelled to continue.

"All." Morrigan answered plainly. "Any and everything that you can fathom, exists. Either in this world or another." her answer sounded rehearsed. "Was it not one from this very world that declared in one of his works that there were 'more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy'?" just how familiar was she to hearing this? "And if such things are to be believed, then is my existence so incomprehensible? Let alone anything else?" Mega held no retort or protest to her words. "But enough of that. I grow weary of useless chitter-chatter. Thus," it was faint, ever so subtle, yet the Blue Bomber swore he felt her grip loosen. "How about we get on with it, yes?"

Whatever she was talking about, it mattered not. He had just been granted an opportunity, so he might as well take it. Kicking back against her stomach, Mega Man leapt down from the elevated place she had been, yet despite the distance, found his landing to be rather light and gentle.

"Oh ho ho!" he heard from above, Morrigan coming down to land but a few feet away from him. "Do forgive me! I wasn't aware you were as eager as I!"

"I'm eager to get out of here! It has nothing to do with you!"

Her smile faltered for a moment. Not due to disappointment or offense, but rather, at least from what Mega theorized, annoyance. Indeed, this didn't seem to be anything unfamiliar to her. Yet then, a small smirk traced her lips.

"It seems that you're no stranger to flirting with potential peril."

"When one of your first moments in life is nearly having your creator's old colleague drill into your head, it seems that an invisible target is immediately put on your back."

"All the more reason I chose you." the winged seductress replied. "Mmm…" she moaned, licking her lips as she surveyed him. "I must admit, I wondered whether or not you would truly be worth the wait and trouble."

"But now?"

"Now...I regret nothing." she admitted. Oh, it would've been so tempting. So easy to go over and just take him! "The other tin toys may have been well endowed and built, yet it seems you're the only one with any sense on how to properly utilize your assets. Such an...interesting specimen you are."

"Speaking of which," Mega began, far from wishing to let the woman continue her ogling. "What did you do with them?"

"Them?" she asked. "You'll have to be clearer than that, love."

"Where are they?"

"They? I don't believe I…" Morrigan tapped her finger on her chin, her eyes shifting back to the Blue Bomber then back into space. "Oh, you mean the lot you came in with?" her lips peeled back, revealing two rows of ivory teeth, her canines not overly so, yet it was clear they were slightly more developed than that of the average individual. "Funny you would mention them after all this time. I would've thought it would've been brought up sooner, seeing as you went through such trouble for two measly humans. Is there no loyalty amongst your kind?"

Her influence, whatever it was, didn't have enough hold of him to extinguish the surge of fury that came at that moment, the cerulean android immediately drawing out his buster.

"No offense meant, love." the Makai resident assured, though she was clearly amused by the rise she got out of him. "Loyalty in itself is a joke, especially amongst those of my class."

"What did you do with them?"

Her turquoise eyes grew dark, though she never seemed to lose that cursed smugness of hers. "Would you really like to know?"

"Where. Are. They?"

"Oh relax. I'll show you, if you're so anxious about it." Morrigan declared, miffed that she had to reveal the surprise so early. "But first…" she paused, raising her left arm, her middle finger resting on her thumb. "I've seen a good portion of your world. I would like for you to have a small preview of mine."

And with a slide of her fingers,

SNAP!

Mega Man felt the ground beneath him begin to shift. 'Oh no. Again?'

 **Light Residence**

"What in the world would that coot be calling us for?" Roll questioned, eyeing the flickering screen.

"I can't say for sure." Dr. Light confessed, all the while approaching the keypad to the massive machine.

He knew not, yet at the same time, found he didn't care. Tuning a dial stationed on the pad, the display on the monitor phased in and out, the static steadily dissipating until a clear image of a rather irritable, balding man sporting a lab coat and red tie came to be seen.

"Oh, well it's about time!" Wily bellowed from his location in the Skull Fortress. "Now then," he paused a moment, clearing his throat. "What has that blue pest of yours done?!"

"Whoa, what?!" Roll exclaimed. "As I recall, YOU'RE the one who ruined a perfectly good night for us, baldy!"

"Roll, please." Light urged, the blonde silencing herself (albeit reluctantly). "Albert, what are you talking about?"

"My transmitter!" Wily shouted. "And dont' tell me that dweeb hasn't done something! This has him written all over it!"

"You're not making any sense!" Roll interjected yet again. "If anything, whatever's wrong with your whatsit is probably your own fault!"

"Roll!"

"...it's probably true."

Light went back to focusing on the monitor. "Odd as it sounds, I believe that it's imperative I ask you something."

Despite his more than evident anger, Wily found Thomas' request oddly intriguing. And whilst it was perhaps just an assumption, the other man of science appeared to have a theory regarding his dilema already in mind. Although, "What are you playing at? You would never intentionally assist me. Unless it's sabotage of a guidance system."

Roll was more than eager to tell the other human off again, yet Light raised his hand, motioning for her to not. "Just answer me this: is there a light emitting from your transmitter?"

Wily's blue eyes widened, his brow furrowing, though it wasn't due to the emotion that had consumed him before. "...yes?"

"A violet light."

The other man's expression began to shift. "...what are you-"

"I don't think that what we're experiencing is an isolated incident.

 **?**

How? That was all that came to him.

Just HOW was she able to do this? Surely she couldn't have all of these abilities. Surely she couldn't be THIS powerful.

The environment once again began changing, shaping itself into whatever she apparently deemed it to be, though through what means, he knew not. It wasn't as if she was at the helm of the device that brought him here. Nevertheless, the sea of briars and thorns steadily sank into the ground, a barren, earthy surface revealed and brought to the surface, composed of oval shaped tiles akin to cobblestone. The unnaturally bright moon shone down from above, its light almost rivaling that of the sun, yet it still bathed the entire area, everything bearing something of a violet hue. A fountain to replace the one that had been destroyed was formed, this one displaying something of a gargoyle-like creature possessing a pot that held a purple liquid (or was it water, Mega was unsure) that spilled out to fill the basin. Observing it closer, the Blue Bomber could spot a few skulls and human bones floating on the surface, stumbling back in shock at the sight of such a thing.

"Aw, I thought it was a nice touch." he heard the succubus giggle, yet before he could respond, she gestured north. "Maybe you'll better appreciate THAT piece of Makiain architecture."

What he was doing in even indulging her? There were far more pressing matters at hand! Nonetheless, Mega Man found himself turning in that direction, his blue eyes widening at what lay before them both in the distance. A massive castle or chateau of sorts resting atop of an even more massive set of winding hills, a pathway carved out in the stone going in various directions around the mountains, yet it eventually lead to the mouth of the entrance. Another gargoyle-esque face was etched into the side of the structure, looking down below over the cliffside, as if guarding its keep from any potential intruders.

"My humble abode." Morrigan declared. "Well, technically the Master's, yet it will be mine. In time." he could've simply mistaken, yet despite her wording, she didn't seem too overly eager about the possibility. If anything, it was something that she didn't look forward to in the slightest.

Still, whatever she was or wasn't subtly conveying mattered not. All the same, the Blue Bomber found himself troubled by one particular question. And frankly, there was no better time to ask than now.

"Answer me this."

"As you wish, love."

He averted her gaze. "How are you doing all of this? I'll admit, I don't know the ins and outs of Wily's device, yet I'd imagine that you'd have to input a setting or something along those lines from OUTSIDE the machine. And even if me and Rush came in in more 'period-centric' attire, I doubt even we could do all of this." Rush...his poor dog. His dog that this demon had up and probably had the ground up and devour like all the others.

Yet despite his current animosity towards her, he wanted answers. If anything, said animosity only fueled this drive to know.

"It's funny you should mention that. Because, believe it or not, even I don't usually hold power such as this."

Hmm, well, that answered part of his question.

"I can very well enter the minds and thoughts of those weaker than I. In fact, it was how I discovered that old fossil's little toy, as well as of its powers." she walked towards the fountain, dipping her finger in the unusually colored water. "Yet as I went on, following where he went, observing how the strange contraption worked...that's when I came to be aware that, upon your arrival, there was a…" she paused, as if trying to find an appropriate set of words to fully describe what was occuring around them. "...sudden influx of energy, you could say."

And now, she just lost him. "Energy?" Mega Man questioned.

"It's the best term for it at the moment." Morrigan confessed. "I don't entirely understand it either. Before now, such things as this were impossible for even me. Yet, somehow, there is such a grand concentration of energy or whatever force this is, I can manipulate and shape it to my will. As well as seize control of it."

Energy...energy, the azure robot repeated to himself. What was she referring to, let alone, where would be getting all of this supposed energy from…'Oh.' as soon as his pondering began, it abruptly came to an end. 'The transmitters.' of course. Of course! 'Wily's main machine, then Dr. Light's duplicate, then the one on the shuttle…' this was bad. This was REALLY bad! How could he not have seen it before?!

"But whatever the case may be, I'll take it." Morrigan stated, bringing Mega out of his thoughts. "After all, it's horrible manners to refuse a free gift." she then stepped away from the fountain, eyeing the blue android before her. "Besides, I didn't go through all this to simply have a chat with you."

"One last thing." her 'guest' blurted out. "What did you do with them?"

"Them?" she quirked her brow.

"You know what I mean. Where are they? Where did you send them?"

"Relax, relax. Goodness, you're so tense." she smirked, surveying him with her eyes yet again. "And they're just fine! Don't see why you're so anxious about it!"

"Then show me."

She shrugged casually. "As you wish!"

SNAP!

From the ground, Mega Man watched, mouth agape, as four large stones, quite literally, 'grew' from beneath, then, undoubtedly at the behest of their 'creator', they shaped and smoothed themselves out to resemble that of Ancient Greece, albeit with something of a Rococo flair to them at the capital and pedestal.

Though that was not what, had he needed such a thing, seemed to rob him of breath.

The columns began to turn around, revealing four figures tied by what appeared to be thickly wound, thorny vines, thick, fat roses of red growing in various places. One column for each, Proto Man on the upper left, Cut Man on the lower, Guts Man on the upper right, and Rush in the same vein as the scissor-headed Robot Master.

"Well, here they are!" Morrigan declared. "Happy now?"

Mega Man promptly ignored her and began making a mad dash towards Rush's pillar. All of them were apparently unconscious and unresponsive, not even registering that someone was nearby with his feet pounding on the stone below.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

SNAP!

He leapt forward, hand reaching out to at least make contact with his pet's muzzle. Unfortunately, Mega found himself meeting nothing but the hardened ground.

"I was to SHOW you. Not permit you to make contact with them."

The Blue Bomber whirled around to the green haired woman of unnatural origin. "Release them!"

She appeared disappointed. "Oh, I just HATE it when they're nothing but fuss-pots. I've just made your constant running around interesting, and this is how you repay me?"

"Release them!" he repeated, she, once again, irritated at his response.

Still...mayhap she could make this work. No, she realized. In fact, she had just been given more than enough!

"Very well." she sighed. "Have them you must, then I shall place them back in your possession."

Mega Man didn't respond. True, the prospect of this nightmare finally ending was indeed what he had hoped for, yet from what he had experienced thus far, it was clear that Morrigan was not to be trusted.

"You're probably expecting me to say there's a catch, yes?"

"Not so much as knowing there'll be."

"Cute." the Makai noble chuckled. "How about we make a little wager, love?"

He knew it. "I need to know what I stand to win or lose."

"Oh, nothing much." she casually stated. "Just the opportunity to get those useless toys delivered back to you."

He was about to take it, yet stopped himself. Mega wanted more than just that. "Functioning as they were before?"

"If by 'functioning', you mean behaving no different than usual, then yes." he waited for it. "But," she began again, Mega in turn mentally groaning. Bargains were always the worst. "I shan't just 'give' them to you."

"Fine." the robot sighed. "What do you want of me?"

"Why, isn't it obvious?" Morrigan answered, drawing closer. "I want you." closer. "I want you to entertain me. To let me fulfill and tantalize your senses, give you pleasures that no earthly being, man or machine, could ever hope to replicate." she was just mere inches away now. "Why you would choose that lot over such lovely things is beyond me." Mega didn't waver, though he had to direct his gaze away from her. Just seeing her now, it brought upon such things that felt so...bizarre. And in a sense, desirable. "Still, I've been searching for the strongest out of all these automatons, and I have found him. So, how about this?"

'Not as if I have a choice but to listen.'

"I request a battle." the demoness said plainly. "A battle between yourself and I."

"Battle?" well, in all honesty, he wasn't expecting that. Knowing what she was, he suspected that she'd possibly want something else.

"If you think my class hampers my capabilities, then all the more imperative I educate you." Morrigan stated proudly. "Makai's rulership is a desirable position. One of which many have slain or killed for, let alone continue to attempt in thwarting." her eyes flashed for a moment, the image of a particularly infuriating, yet fascinatingly persistent vampire coming to mind. 'Maximoff…' "Thus, I propose you this, love." she continued. "You shall engage in combat with me."

Mega furrowed his brow. "Even with all you've done, I don't think I can do that. The First Law may not let me."

"First Law? There are plenty of laws. Be specific."

"A robot must never harm a human being-"

"Oh, I see." Morrigan interrupted. "Well, that's no issue here, seeing as I'm not human, now am I?" well, she had something of a point there. "And besides, I doubt very much you would be capable of inflicting anything fatal. I may be channeling the energy flow here, yet my race is already nigh impossible to slay, even by the best of hunters."

She still looked human enough. Yet she wasn't. And seeing that this was still a 'dream' (hopefully), then would such things matter? Ultimately, the azure android found that, like it or not, there was no alternative.

"Ok, so let me get this straight." Mega began. "You want to fight me." she nodded. "And I suppose that the victor gets something out of it?"

"Naturally." she answered. "Should you be victorious, then those four shall be returned to you. Unharmed, and untampered with."

"And...the loser?"

It wasn't a question he cared to ask, yet he wished to know fully what he was dealing with. "Oh…" Morrigan grew excited. "There are no losers in this. Not for you, love. Yet, should I be victorious over you," her lips curled. "I will claim you as my own." she then licked her lips. "So, what say you?" she stuck out her hand. "Do you accept my offer?"

He didn't like this. He didn't like this one bit.

"Well?"

In fact, he outright hated it. Yet in spite of all that, he still took her hand.

"Good boy." she cooed, he more than ready to break off the shake. Yet as he tried to do so, Mega Man found that her grip had grown stronger. And before he could even struggle, let alone protest, he found her hand coming to rest on his back, pushing him from behind and right into her. "You can copy abilities from others such as yourself, yes?" he didn't even get the chance to answer. "Well, I may not be one such as yourself, yet, I do believe I have something to offer you. To even the playing field if you will."

He was taken off guard by what he was feeling. His copy ability was activating? And yet he had yet to receive anything. As if she was holding something back from him until she decided to release it to him.

"And you gain said abilities via direct contact, yes?" again, he was given no chance to speak. "Then please," Morrigan drew forward. "Allow me."

Any and all protests were lost, Mega Man finding all words, let alone the entire environment around him fading away, nothing but shock and, to his dismay, satisfaction, swelling up inside him as she drew close, he unable to pull away, and developing part of him not even wanting to.

As she locked lips with the Blue Bomber, she felt a 'piece' of herself being 'suctioned' out. She shared this moment with him, and thus, he would receive part of her in return.

A piece that he would most assuredly need.

 **Note: A little longer than the other ones, yet seeing as the chapters are being named after the song lyrics, I don't want to run out just yet. Anyway, thank you for reading, and if you like this, please review, as they are the best motivators to keep going, and I shall see you all later!**


	7. But if I Know You

**Note: Hey guys. A heads up, while it is, in the end, something of a trivial detail, I'm wanting to get the lyrics to the song this fic is titled after all laid out in the titles, thus some chapters will probably be shorter than others. On the plus side, it'd help me get them out faster (assuming I can get off my ass and do it). I'll admit, I'm no expert on action sequences, yet given how in Darkstalkers, like Capcom's other fighting games, are filled with signature moves, I tried to implement some of that into this, because, as someone who's played Darkstalkers (at least the re-release for the PSP), Morrigan's got herself quite an arsenal. Also, I'm considering getting in some moves from the Marvel vs Capcom series as well.**

 **That said, here's the next chapter!**

 **Chapter 7: But if I Know You**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

His entire processor was barraged by a maelstrom of emotional input and artificial stimuli, all of which was brought upon him by the simple act of this woman placing her lips upon his own.

And he, despite himself felt no inclination to stop her.

Not once did Mega Man find himself urged to push her off or draw away from her, whether from the shock of what she had just done so casually or how he had indeed began to feel the same sensation of when another machine's ability was being transferred to him, the Blue Bomber knew not.

He found himself not really able to know much outside of anything that was not Morrigan Aensland.

He hadn't noticed before how soft and gentle her hands felt upon his face, skin smooth and flawless. Her lips plump and pink, their texture rivaling that of her skin. A warmth seeped through him the moment she kissed him, a craving for more suddenly being triggered, the reason for such not understood, yet it began to not matter.

He wanted her. He wanted, needed, HAD to have her. No, he...he was nothing compared to her. He wanted her to have him. To be her…

She parted from him, Mega Man finding himself losing balance, falling to the ground, the impact jostling him from the strange, hazy daze the succubus' 'peck' supposedly transferred to him.

"Don't tell me you're giving out already." Morrigan chided, though it was clear that she was baiting him. And from how quickly her opponent rose, said bait was taken. "Eager, aren't we? I like that." she licked her lips. "You taste rather nice. Never sampled one of your kind before."

'Thank you.' was about to fall from his lips, yet the Blue Bomber caught himself just in time, stopping his tongue before such a thing could escape. What in the world was she doing to him?!

"Now," she lowered herself, her right arm extending forward, her left clasping onto it at the elbow. As if she were ready to fire a buster of her own. "The real fun starts." her wings began to transform again, gaining something of a more metallic appearance, a surge of energy building around her right arm before, finally, it was released.

"SOUL FIST!"

 **Light's Lab**

"What are you getting at, Thomas?"

It was just a hunch, nothing more than a theory. And even then, he wasn't sure whether or not it would lead to any plausible answers. "What I'm getting at, Albert, is that there's a good chance that there is an interference that is affecting each of the transmitters, hence why their functionality is being compromised."

"Then it IS true!" Wily barked. "None of this happened until YOU decided to butt in! You and your little blue pest!"

"And he's going to BE such until the day you finally do us a favor and die, you old fart!" Roll interjected, of which earned her a disapproving glare from her creator.

"I can't say whether or not his interference has caused such a thing," Light confessed. "Yet ultimately, I'm not willing to go and say that in itself is the exact cause."

"Oh, sure." the other scientist rolled his eyes. "Your golden child can do no wrong."

"Albert, I ask this in all seriousness. Are you certain that there were no abnormalities you experienced before this? None at all?"

"Of course not! I oversaw each and every piece and portion of this project! Every screw and bolt was taken into account!" Wily protested. Honestly, Light was a fool to expect anything different. "The only ones that need a look over are those useless walking trash cans!"

"So what else is new?" Roll quipped, yet to her surprise, Dr. Light displayed no annoyance. In fact, it seemed that this comment got the wheels in his head to begin turning.

"Would you...care to explain?"

Wily quirked one of his thickened brows. "Explain what?"

"What exactly needs to be 'looked over'?"

Now the balding man was growing even more confused. "What kind of question is that? What are you getting at?"

"Exactly as I've said: what has caused you to believe that these particular machines need a 'looking over'?"

Wily was silent for a moment or two, pondering as to whether or not he should even answer. "...it…" or better yet, he wondered how to even answer at all. "It was something about seeing some person with them inside the projected scenario implanted in the subject's mind. The police chief, I believe is when they began complaining."

"Person?" Light questioned. "What kind of person? Man or woman, or something else?"

"A woman." Wily clarified. "Though given how they spoke about it…"

"How did they speak about it?"

The other man's eyes shifted. "I will say this." he finally spoke. "She was regarded as something that should not have been there. I programmed no such thing. So they were aware enough of that."

"And…" again, it was nothing more than a hunch. And even then, it perhaps would lead nowhere, but he was urged to question it. "How many times has this occurred? Was it an isolated incident?"

It was brief, little more than a second or two, yet both Light and Roll bore witness to it: uncertainty began to seep into the other man's features. Dare they say, apprehension, and perhaps...fear? His answer, in turn, confirmed that what they had just seen was in no way fanciful thinking.

"No."

 **Deserted Chateau**

Performing a back flip, the Blue Bomber evaded the incoming barrage of energy coming his way, taking note of how said energy resembled that of a bat flying directly towards him. Given what she had just 'given' him, Mega Man saw no loss in trying out his new 'ability', aiming his buster at Morrigan. Indeed, in the same fashion as her, a surge of colorful energy blasted out of his arm cannon, taking on the form of the same, winged mammal, intent on meeting its intended target.

Unfortunately, there was the account that Morrigan had wings, of which she made use of, lifting herself off the ground, Mega Man's blast hitting and dispersing in a flurry of sparks upon impact.

"Shadow Blade!" she declared, turning her back to the azure robot and dashing towards him, said azure robot noting that the top portion of her left wing seemed to suddenly resemble that of a finely sharpened blade.

Losing balance, Mega Man wasted no time in abandoning his perch, the newly formed point of the succubus' wing whooshing but a few centimeters from the bridge of his nose, the head of the gargoyle chopped clean off and landing in the water below, joining the collection of floating skulls. If anything, at least he landed on his feet, something of which Morrigan found worthy of applause.

"Strong AND graceful!" she stated, obviously excited. "Ooooh, it's so tempting to just take you now!"

"Seeing as you're clearly cheating, I'm not too surprised you think you will!"

She raised on, green brow. "Cheating? No, dear. That's simply utilizing my assets. Assets that you don't possess. Too bad for you."

Mega Man narrowed his blue eyes. He should've expected such, yet still, it didn't change the fact that this was now going to be even more difficult than he initially expected. Nevertheless, he held no intention on simply giving in to her wishes. "Do what you will. It's obvious I can't stop you." he told her plainly. "But I assure you, I have no intention on parting with you willingly, let alone becoming some object for your own amusement."

She simply smiled. "I had hoped not. That would just be boring."

 **Light's Lab**

"Honestly, Thomas, do you think I don't see what you're trying to do?! It's clear that you're just stalling so that Mega-"

"How did they speak about it?!" Thomas in turn reiterated, albeit more firmly. "Bear in mind, wherever Mega Man may be, so are they! And unless we firmly understand what we're dealing with here, it's possible they might not be able to come back!"

"And I should care why?" Wily retorted. "If anything, this could very well be the break I've been waiting for!"

"Why you-" Roll began, just about ready to smash her fist through the monitor, yet Dr. Light silenced her again. "But he-" she in turn, argued. "You're surely not going to let him get away with that!"

"No, I'm not." Light whispered to her. "Yet losing yourself isn't going to do Mega any good, nor is it going to get us closer to a solution."

The pony-tailed blonde stilled herself, lowering her fist, which in turn uncurled. Bitter as a pill it was, its flavor was only such because of how true it was. Still, it didn't mean she had to like it, let alone have anything but hatred for the pathetic excuse of a human being before her, safe behind a screen.

"Albert, I don't believe you understand the gravity that this situation potentially means-"

"Oh no, Thomas. I understand completely. In fact, I understand it now more than ever." the other scientist displayed a wide, toothy grin. "In fact, I believe that this requires some highly neglected attention. If you would excuse me…"

Dr. Light's eyes grew wide. "No, wait-"

The feed was ended, the signal lost. The monitor was consumed with static once again.

 **Deserted Chateau**

A bat composed of sheer energy flew forward, fangs bared, another one of it flying head first into it. The meeting between the two Soul Fists was immediate, as well as the reaction that followed.

Both Mega and Morrigan found themselves thrown backward, blinded by the explosion. Neither of their landings were exactly graceful, slamming hard into the stone flooring when the dust settled, seeing a crater in place of where the two projections of energy had met.

Mega Man began to hoist himself, realizing to his horror that the winged woman was flying right towards him. Rolling out of the way, he witnessed the wings once again contort and twist themselves in ways that, had he not been forced to swallow all he had seen before, would've deemed impossible. Multiple barbed spikes struck the cobblestone, breaking through the aged, hardened stone, bits of rock sent flying from the impact. Seizing this chance, the Blue Bomber kicked his leg outward, striking Morrigan in the ankle, managing to knock her off balance.

The sensation of having the air knocked out of her caught the native of Makai off guard, along with the Soul Fist sent her way, blowing her back and sending her flying through the air. Though, just moments before her head would make contact with the ground, her wings, having regained their former shape, fanned outward, slowing her descent just enough to allow the body attached to flip herself upright and land on her feet.

'Not going to lie.' she thought to herself. 'That was a little painful.' she dare not allow such a thing to pass through her lips, however, she straightening her posture, though a surge of pain in her abdomen forced her to lean over slightly. 'Looks like you hit me harder than I thought.' she looked to her prey, standing at attention and ready for whatever she may attempt next. 'Well, in a sense, I AM getting what I asked for.' he rose, the ache from where she had landed beginning to subside. 'Besides, in the end, I'll see to it that this skirmish goes in my favor!'

 **Dr. Light's Lab**

"We can't!"

"Roll-"

"We can't just let him do this! We can't let him get away with this!"

"And we won't! But-"

"I'm going to kill him! I'm going to go and break down the doors of that blasted tower of his and-"

"ROLL!"

The long haired android stopped her tirade against her creator's former colleague, shoulders lowering, her entire posture echoing utter defeat. She absolutely hated it. "But…" she spoke, voice the furthest thing from the rage filled bellow it had been but moments ago. "What now? What are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something." Light assured, yet it was clear that the certainty in accomplishing such wasn't as high as he would've liked.

"Oh yeah?" Roll retorted, frustration building. "Like what?" she immediately regretted saying such. The Doc was just as worried about Mega as she, yet...ugh, she couldn't stand this! The 'not knowing', the inability to do anything, it was driving her mad! "Doc...I...I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at-"

"It's fine." Light assured. "I know, I understand." indeed, he did. If anything, he envied the housekeeper's openness in expressing how she felt about anything. Such blatant honesty was something he wished he could present at the moment as well. Yet that would do neither she, nor Mega any good at all. 'There has to be a way to make him see.' the bearded scientist thought. 'If this isn't an isolated incident, then...then perhaps there's some sort of interference. From where, I don't know, yet surely this will potentially affect Albert in some form or another.' his concern, despite the wording of his musing, wasn't reserved for the madman. Yet if he didn't gain his favor, it may very well cost him his cooperation.

And perhaps, their only chance to bring Mega Man back.

 **Skull Fortress**

Truly, if Elec Man had anything to say, it was that the last few hours had been nothing short of a waste of his talents. Wily insisted on him coming along on the mission, and yet what does he task him with? The most advanced and perfect of all of the outdated models here? Go around town aimlessly and, if by chance, Mega Man would come (which Elec Man predicted as such), stop him or impede his progress at the very least. Of which Bomb Man screwed up.

'Idiot.' the electricity wielding android huffed to himself, pacing the floor in front of the structure's main computer. 'And, of course, it is I who had to drag him back here for repairs!' he rolled his eyes, running the tips of his fingers along the rims of his mask. 'At the very least, Proto Man is somewhat competent! Though this entire operation would've gone far smoother, not to mention be done far quicker had I been at the helm!' and knowing that Cut and Guts Man were tasked with something of important, again, they were both bound to screw it up somehow. Again. If there was anything positive to gain from that, it'd at least be a confirmation of his evident superiority.

Besides, it wasn't as if it could just be called arrogance. Not when it was completely true.

BBZZT!

"Hm?" the reprogrammed DLN turned his attention to the computer's monitor, that, instead of displaying Wily's current location along with the dream transmitter's, displayed nothing but static. "That's odd." then his eyes took notice of one of the several colored diodes located on the console. All of which were beginning to emit a bright, violet light. "What in the world?"

 **Deserted Chateau**

A bladed appendage scraped along his pectorals.

A blast of her own ability was ejected into her chest.

This exchange of blows and shots fired at the other had gone on for what seemed to be hours, yet surely it couldn't have been that long. Or perhaps it had. Mega Man knew not, the distortion of everything else around him made the distortion of time more than just a slim possibility at this point.

The heel of a black boot struck the azure robot's forearms, lifted up in front of his face like a shield. True, this method had prevented his agresor from getting any hits in, yet she had yet to stop throwing physical attacks his direction, he in turn unable to go on the offensive in turn.

And the fact that each blow forced him to step back wasn't exactly helping matters either. Especially when he realized he was stopped by a hard, stony surface behind him.

Seizing the opportunity, Morrigan swung forward, or rather, swung her wing forward (seriously, how in the world did she work those things, Mega Man thought) in the manner a sickle or scythe would be. He had managed to evade it, though that also meant having to land in the fountain's unnaturally colored water. Another step back thanks to yet another move sent his way (this time being the wings atop her head of all things), Mega Man knew he had to keep vigil and patient. 'If it weren't for the tight spot I'm in, I'd outright call most of this stuff ridiculous.'

CRACK!

Oh no, oh geez, had he just…

He shifted his eyes downward, crunched bits and pieces of bone resting underneath his heel.

'Lovely.'

The barbed tendrils were coming his direction yet again, Mega Man leaping out of the fountain (forced to discard the fact he had just possibly desecrated someone's remains) and finding, that finally, he had enough room to deliver a clear shot.

"VECTOR STEAL!"

As did she.

 **Inside of a Cave-One of Wily's Smaller Hideouts**

Oh, this was too good to be true! If he was to believe what he had just heard, then he had finally done it! Finally, at long last, that blasted blue pest was out of his hair!

Sure, it had been done in a rather bizarre way, yet who was he to complain? After all, never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Of course, yes, there WAS the issue regarding how three of his own machines were perhaps trapped in whatever limbo Mega Man was currently in...yet did such a thing matter? He had made a good deal of sacrifices and suffered more than his fair share of grief and turmoil. If anything, those three should be honored to have contributed to such a grand achievement!

And besides, the only reasonable loss Wily could think of was Proto Man...but even then, perhaps it would be beneficial to not have someone who apparently lived to continuously push his buttons.

BBZZT!

"Oh, great." the balding scientist groaned. "What now?" he began fiddling around on the the console of the van. There was nothing wrong with his transmitter (no matter WHAT any one of those three said), yet it was becoming more and more difficult to deny that something of the sort was going on. The violet light was still shining brightly, yet the scientist paid it no mind, continuing to fidget and tune the transmitter. If this would indeed be that blue pest's demise, then he wished to at least get something of a glimpse at it.

Of course, the light's growing intensity made it difficult to concentrate...wait. What?

Wily had no time to question this new development, the glass of the diode shattering, bits and splinters falling to the floor. "What the-" the old man was forced to rise from his seating position, a surge of similarly colored energy emitting from the now empty space, resembling that of a bolt of lighting. "What in the world?!" the surging energy began pouring out of the small space, zapping and striking various areas in the vehicle. Ducking and falling to the floor, Wily crawled to the door and quite literally tumbled out, the hardened earth not exactly serving as the most comfortable landing place.

Though, as he soon saw, his current discomfort was the least of his problems. The light and energy had seemingly consumed the entirety of van, the windows and open space he had exited out of completely bathed in a blinding, unnatural hue.

 **Note: Again, short length (hell of a lot shorter than what I usually do), yet I feel that these shorter stories and chapters help in not having me burn out as quick. Also, I haven't forgotten about the other bots that went in with Mega. If anything, they're going to contribute something very useful soon.**

 **That said, thank you for reading! Please review as it gives me motivation and encouragement that this content is garnering interest!**

 **Thanks!**


	8. I Know What You'll Do

**Note: Hello, sorry for the delay. I am working on outlining the second installment of Missing Episodes, yet I'll admit to being a little scared too. In that I'm wanting to improve on the flaws in the last story and while there are going to be risks taken, I want it all to feel deserved and natural. That said, here's the (belated) next part of this little fic.**

 **Chapter 8: I Know What You'll Do**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

"Yo, who turned on the lights? Kind of in the middle of…" Bomb Man's complaint against what had interrupted his rest (as well as his post-surgery recovery) died in his throat as he stepped into the floor's main hub, his optics momentarily blinded by the impossibly bright light of violet emitting from the monitor. "Yo, what's this about- "his questioning of what he was even seeing (even if just barely) was also cut off, a surge of similarly colored electricity or energy coming forward and striking the floor, a fresh, singed mark left in its wake.

"Get out of the way, fool!" yet more questions that couldn't' be asked in time, let alone answered, came to him, the explosive wielding Robot Master finding himself being tackled to the floor by the only other figure in the room. Another flash struck but mere inches away from both of them, Bomb Man then feeling the one who sent him to the ground forcibly dragging him away, he, in turn, trying to get out the simple yet pressing question of what in the world was going on.

"Quiet!" his 'rescuer' hissed, dragging the both of them behind a nearby corner, finally allowing them some sort of reprieve from the sudden onslaught of unnatural force that had seemingly overtaken the main computer. Now with a good deal of the blinding light taken away, Bomb Man could get a good look at the other machine. "Before you go on with whatever is dying to get out of your processor, no." Elec Man stated. "I know not what this is, let alone how it came to be, and even more, what to even do about it."

Well, there was some of whatever this was answered. As well as becoming aware of just whom he owed his 'rescue' to. "Oh really?" Bomb Man retorted, his senses coming back to him, as well as the not so secret 'distaste' for the self-proclaimed 'superiorly infused' piece of technology. "Because it seems like you've got a PERFECT strategy for dealing with it! Tell me, what IS the success rate of hiding behind a wall, and- "

"Try me." Elec Man snarled. "The distance would be short, and I AM pondering on just HOW powerful these streams originating from this anomalous are."

Bomb Man's hairless brow furrowed. "Try it, and I'm taking you down with me!"

"You wish to test your strength with me?"

"No, cause we both know how that'd turn out! I just have a reason to make you squirm now!"

"Don't flatter yourself. As much of a bumbling oaf he is, you're no Guts Man. You're not even a QUARTER of- "

The quarrel was promptly ended as soon as it had begun, a flicker and flash of violet shooting past them, the wall keeping the flashes from contacting them, yet it became clear that they were both just a little too close for comfort. Animosity was still more than present, yet that could come later. Preferably when the other was at their most vulnerable and least suspecting. Still, as they scooched along the floor, both machines were left both completely flabbergasted.

And, while they dare not utter such in front of the other…alarmed. Dare they say…afraid.

 **Deserted Chateau**

Once again, he found himself being forcibly separated from the ground, flying upward and in the grasp of his unwanted, supernatural company. The thrusters of her transformed wings resonated in the Blue Bomber's audio units as they continued soaring upward. Higher, higher, higher, until surely, they were going to slam headfirst into the ceiling of the cave! It wasn't as if Morrigan was planning on using his head to break through the rock, both were on equal level with each other, surely there was something else she had in mind! Mega Man braced himself, the ceiling approaching, yards decreasing into feet, until…

Nothing.

No impact, no signals sent through the cables embedded in his helm to indicate he was receiving damage, nothing.

The only thing he was aware of, was that his captor had stopped her ascension, yet it was clear she was far from done. No, if anything, she was moving into phase two.

'Got to get this right…'

Quite literally flipping herself over in midair, Morrigan planted her black boots atop of the uneven ceiling above, kicking off of the rocky surface and the thrusters of her wings going into overdrive, both she and her prey flying directly towards the fountain, a spot for said prey's head to slam into already picked out-

'Now!'

"SOUL FIST!"

The muzzle of a silver canon was thrust into the succubus' toned abdomen, said succubus realizing well and good what the Blue Bomber intended to do, attempting to increase the speed of their descent. Yet by the time she realized, the surge of burning, stinging pain came to assault where the robot has unleased the very ability she had given him.

Unleashing an agonized cry, Morrigan inwardly cursed as her grip slipped, her catch kicking off of her and she in turn landing where she had planned to drive him into the ground.

Mega Man's landing was rattling, yet stable enough in that he managed to land upright on his feet, a large splash of purple liquid coming from the fountain and revealing a rather soaked, disoriented Morrigan. Her wings had once again changed, yet they were a far cry from either their (or what he assumed to be) regular appearance or even the more mechanized form he had seen prior. They seemed to resemble limp, boneless lumps of flesh that hung uselessly from her back, one draping over the edge of the fountain whilst the other was rubbing her forehead, the ends resembling a pair of cartoonish hands.

It took everything Mega had to not release at least one chuckle at what he was seeing…but he believed he was more than privileged to comment on it.

"You know, there IS a reason why stunts like that aren't encouraged around the pool. Let alone something about the size of a kiddie pool."

…

It wasn't as if she had gone into this to have him simply 'hand' himself over to her. Far from it. In fact, even before her 'big reveal' to him and the other hapless nobodies that were drawn into this place, she was giddy with anticipation over the inevitable confrontation that was to come. Of course, it was also when she, despite the anticipation, had the utmost certainty that the effort she'd have to exert wouldn't be overly taxing. Yes, she had expected to come out with some scrapes and bruises, yet the battle wouldn't be overly long, let alone have her currently be in such a compromising and humiliating display.

It was then that Morrigan found herself growing irritable. Irritable…as well as puzzled as to how this was, somehow, not going in her favor.

True, she wholeheartedly admitted, both to herself and these mechanical humanoids, that she didn't entirely understand how she was able to conjure up all of this power, let alone create entire landscapes and in turn manipulate them, but given what she stood to gain, she decided that such things could be answered later. That machine of the old man's held some link to it, she was certain of that, yet from what she could tell, or rather, 'feel', nothing had occurred. There was no 'drop' of the flow of incoming energy in this plane of existence, so what was the deal?

Why was, despite everything, she struggling to best this 'Mega Man'?

Lifting herself up out of the water, her head still pounding, the visitor from Makai glanced from in between fingers that had pushed strands of soaked hair from her face. There the azure robot stood, at the ready for whatever else she was potentially planning for him.

No wings, no skills, no powers such as she…let alone able to manipulate this realm such as she, and yet here she was looking worse than a drowned sewer rat! At this rate…no. No, no, no. Defeat…no. Defeat worried her not. That result, she could guarantee. Yet it couldn't be denied that her absence would eventually be noticed, if it hadn't already.

'If not by Mudo, then Lucian, surely.' And if not them…then the Master…

She had to act fast. If not just to save herself yet another lecture of 'shirking responsibilities'.

Yet what could she do? It'd have to be something swift and heavy. Something that'd disorient his senses long enough for her to move in and be able to truly subdue him.

Then, it hit her.

Taking in a long, heavy breath, the succubus' wings regained their default shape, fanning out behind her, she in turn lifting her arms upward, fingers spread as if her hands were attempting to mimic a butterfly's wings. It would be risky. Despite her status, as well as the class of her species that she was born into, such a maneuver was difficult to pull off. Even for one such as the Master. Yet with the sheer amount of energy that the old man's machines were producing…surely she could pull it off, at least to some degree.

Her opponent tensed when she moved, her hands coming down to rest upon her shoulders, turquoise eyes locked onto his sapphire, and then, she brought the tips of her fingers to her lips. Her eyes shut, and, from what Mega Man could see, some sort of pink, vibrant light was being exuded from her oral cavity. Or perhaps more appropriately, from her lips.

Then, she 'blew' the concentration towards him, said concentration seemingly little more than a lone, glowing heart of bright pink.

A heart that gave the Blue Bomber little to no time to react, his processor busy in analyzing what Morrigan was even doing. Yet when said heart finally met him, he found that the sensation of it meeting his facial region brought with it no pain.

Rather, the moment it met his lips and dissipated into nothingness, a rising warmth immediately began to set in.

And his eyes, against his will, were drawn towards the green haired, winged woman. He began to move towards her.

 **Light's Lab**

"We've got to get out of here!"

Both Roll and her creator rushed out of the lab, slamming the door behind them, the violet light continuing to pour out from underneath the door.

"What in the world?" Light breathed out. True, his panic was more or less reflexive in the sudden burst of light that emanated from his replica, yet still, he was completely flabbergasted as to what was going on.

Let alone how he was ever potentially going to retrieve Mega Man from God knew wherever he was.

 **Deserted Chateau**

It was then that he realized that his legs felt as if steel weights were fasted around his ankles. Yet why did he only notice this now?

The toe of one of his boots was snagged in a small crack, yet the Blue Bomber found he never met the ground, a pair of gentle, smooth hands having to come rescue him. "Easy, now." His savior cooed. "I have you, love."

'I have you, indeed.'

The azure machine was lifted to an upright position, Mega Man's regard for any and all else around him being steadily, yet surely disregarded. His eyes, once clear and bright, had become glazed over, resembling that of fogged up orbs of glass. Morrigan, whilst still having her arms around him, adjusted her position to where she took on a more traditional pose, interlocking herself around the android's neck, he in turn compelled, albeit at a slow pace, to gently embrace her by wrapping around her mid back.

'This…this isn't right.'

"Yes, darling, that's it…" the succubus sighed, burying her face in the Blue Bomber's chest, the solid build only serving to entice her more. "That's the spot…"

'I…I can't stop. I…I don't want to stop.'

The two remained in their embrace for a seemingly immeasurable amount of time, the stillness and quiet of the world around them only to seemingly further intensify the overwhelming euphoria that Mega Man found to be rendering his reasoning and everything else to pulp. He attempted to speak, mouth opening and tongue struggling to form words.

"A-Ah!" it was a wasted effort in the end, however, the only noise he could muster being wasted in a cry of shock at the sensation of teeth lightly nibbling at his neck.

Morrigan didn't cease this treatment, her lips and tongue moving down and feeling against each and every curve and crevasse of the small area, Mega Man finding that either his sensory input had been set to its near maximum or that this was yet just another effect of that strange 'heart' that had hit him.

And he found he was losing the ability to care for a reason.

"Taste as nice as you look…" the winged woman chuckled, gently pushing Mega's head back to fully expose his neck. With one, long lap, she let her tongue travel from the notch at the base to where, had he been human, his thyroid notch would've lay. "Of course…I'm feeling a little sore. You didn't exactly let me have a smooth landing."

'You started it!'

"…sorry…"

'Wh-What?! No! No, I didn't mean- '

"I take you've got a few aches as well." She stoked his cheek. "Forgive me if I was a bit too rough. I do tend to lose myself in the heat of the moment…"

He was still, completely paralyzed. Not even the attempts to move his fingers had any success. Though anything further to try and rouse himself from this state was cut short, Morrigan's hand pressing against his chest, the android feeling himself being forced back, the succubus in turn serving as the only thing keeping him balanced.

"Let's continue this on something a little more…comfortable."

The environment was once again undergoing a transformation of sorts, albeit one of a smaller scale in comparison to those witnessed before. The interior of the cave and the scene of the far-off castle remained, yet from the depths of the fountain, winding, intertwining vines sprouted outward, trailing over the sides and continuing on and on the moment it reached the stone below. Sharpened thorns akin to the briars before had lined the vines, yet unlike the briars, a plethora of large, fattened buds accompanied the thorns.

It was then that Mega Man became aware that he was experiencing, having 'senses' that were not embedded into him, a pleasurable, floral scent traveling into his nostrils and breaking through the small barrier of defense he had managed to conjure up with however little of his own willpower he had left. The scent grew in power and potency, the robot's blue eyes able to spot the buds growing larger and fatter. More and more they grew and expanded, until they, quite literally, 'popped' open. Massive, dark pink roses fanned out gorgeous petals, yet open opening, the action in itself seemed to go and release a flurry of petals out in the open. And with each and every blossom that opened, more and more petals 'shot' off of the flower, getting themselves caught in a light, unnaturally circling breeze that had not been present before.

The entire cave was filled with the enticing aroma, a natural perfume concocted by the most primitive and ancient of naturally occurring chemical compounds.

Too much…it was all too much.

'She…she's…'

"Now…" Morrigan began, lightly pushing Mega to a sitting position, forcing him to recline on the rim of the fountain's edge. "We can TRULY have a good time, can't we?"

'No!'

"Y-Yes…"

She smiled, sitting as well on the rim, her turquoise eyes boring right into his own. "I shall say, you've provided me with a little more trouble than I initially believed you would." A long finger traced alongside Mega's jaw. "Of course, it IS best when you earn your prizes, is it not?"

"…n-no."

Hm? No?

"Not…" her brow furrowed. Even now, he was still making sure to resist her. "Not…prize…"

"If you're not a prize, what are you then?" she questioned, tone firm and direct, yet she made sure to keep any semblance of aggression to a minimum, lest she lose this robot any further. "What are any of you?"

He had to keep pushing. He had to! He had been slipping away already, yet now, he was just teetering over the edge! Should he let himself go just a smidge further, he'd surely be plummeting off into the abyss. His processer, his entire system and perhaps his very core, would be sitting squarely in the palm of this being's hand.

Easier said than done.

"You may have the face, body, and voice of one, yet it's more than clear you are anything BUT human." Morrigan told him. "In fact, you yourselves are the very creation of a human, yes?" no answer. "Yes?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Thus, would you say that you…belong to him?"

Mega's internal wiring froze. "B-Belong?"

"Yes, belong." The succubus confirmed. "He crafted you with his own hands, and from what I've observed, if the other three that came with you are to be accounted for, you mechanical beings are made to execute the whims of your creators." She leant in closer. "Like obedient dogs. Or more fittingly…toys."

Dogs…toys…he should've been angered. If not outright offended by such descriptions being used, but her voice made them sound so…good. Correct even. In fact, a growing part of Mega found itself beginning to outright treat her words as gospel. And said belief, enforced as it was, served to further drive him towards the edge of whatever remained of his conscious mind.

"You belong to him." She said.

He answered. "Yes."

"Thus, you ARE like a dog or toy." She said. "A pet or object that can be given and passed around."

"….yes."

"And, if that IS the case, then surely, if you were either lost…or no longer wanted…it'd simply be appropriate for another to come and take you, right?" Morrigan's lips were just mere inches away. "Come and care for you in ways that he never could. Provide you with pleasures that defy and break the boundaries of the known senses."

He had nothing in him anymore to speak. He was quite literally, hanging off the edge.

"Though I am not without mercy, for I sense that loneliness will follow." She said. After all, given that there were five of these beings here, what reason was there to simply not have some use made out of them? "You all shall be nurtured and cared for. And in turn, you will provide for me all that I wish. Does that not sound lovely?"

Fingers desperately grasping was all there was. Should she push more, just a sliver more, he would be lost. He knew it.

"Love me…"

And yet…

"Fear me…"

He found that…

"And I will forever…"

He didn't care.

"Be your slave."

 **Note: So sorry for the delay again.**


	9. You'll Love Me at Once

**Note: I'm running out of lyrics, so I probably need to wrap this up soon. But yeah, this little is coming to a close, as I need to work on some bigger projects as well as some smaller ones (new season of Missing Episodes up BTW).**

 **That said, here's the ninth part, and hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 9: You'll Love Me at Once**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

It was far from becoming of him. If anything, it was nothing short of absolutely humiliating. But as the purple light continued to pour out from the windows and open door of the vehicle, the balding man was becoming desperate.

"Light?! LIGHT!" Wily shouted in the small device in his hand, receiving only static as a response. "Darn it, Thomas, answer me!" still, no answer.

In a fit of rage (and growing panic), he threw the communicator to the ground, instincts urging him to move away from the van, the violet light not dying down. Oh, what now? What was he going to do?! Better yet, what in the world could he call this?! He had no idea what was even going on!

"Bzzt-ily!" Hm? "Bzzt-Wily!" that voice… "Bzz-are you there?!"

Wily wasted no time in picking up the previously discarded device. "Elec Man?! Is that you?!"

"Bzz-freq-bz-cy!"

Oh, right. Twisting the small dial located at the top, the scientist raised the device to his ear. "What is it? Speak up! I'm in the middle of something here!"

A short span of silence followed upon the human saying such. "So, you too."

Wily's eyes widened. "No…" realization began to dawn on him. "Don't tell me that the fortress'- "

"Not anymore." The response was quick, yet the former DLN's voice held a firmness and conviction in it.

At first, Wily expressed relief in this, though the prospect of 'how' what was assumedly the same issue he was having here was remedied came to mind. Remedied in a way where perhaps things weren't as 'clean' as the robot made it sound. "What did you do- "

"I believe we have a way to perhaps solve the problem." Elec Man continued, as if knowing what the man was going to inquire of.

"What did you do?!"

"There's no time, Doctor. Out."

"Don't you dare hang up on-"

The link died, leaving Wily alone, the light continuing to pour out from the van.

 **Light Residence**

"Where are you going?!"

Her journey back inside the house was cut short by a hand seizing her wrist.

"Back in! Where else?!" she protested, blue eyes centered right on the house.

"Absolutely not!" the bearded scientist cried out. "I'm not going to risk losing you too!"

She in turn continued to look on, the windows of the lab bathed and pouring out nothing more but near blinding light. "But Mega…"

His lips tightened as the Blue Bomber's name exited her lips. Indeed, while the evacuation of the house was necessary, it was far from something he wished to do, let alone she or the small, green, energy dispenser would even consider under near any circumstance. Yet really, what else could they do? There was no telling what the machine's reaction meant, let alone how to stop it. They didn't even know what the cause of it was to begin with!

"We can't just…" the blonde housekeeper began again, her eyes having not left the house, more specifically, the lab.

"So, my eyes don't deceive me." All three residents of the home whirled around to the source of the voice, completely baffled at whom had spoken, let alone that he and his companion were here at all. "It's even affected you."

Roll wasted no time. "Doc, get behind me." Not that it mattered, as she went in front of him anyway. "What are you doing here?!"

Elec Man simply huffed. "Solving your problem." He answered curtly. "Or rather, solving a problem Wily wants solved. And should you ask nicely, our," he looked to Bomb Man, then back to Roll. "MY services would help you greatly.

"Yeah right!" Roll retorted. "You're just here to steal our duplicate machine or kidnap the Doc! I'm onto you! You can't fool me!"

"Duplicate?" The Robot Master's brow raised. "Now that IS interesting." He then looked to Bomb Man, folding his arms. "I believe we have all the information we need. Thank you kindly for your big mouth."

The blonde was about to spew out another insult, yet something he said stopped her. "Information? What are you talking about?"

Elec Man's eyes narrowed. "Just so you're aware, this is far from an isolated incident.

 **Before**

"What's going on?!" Bomb Man asked, thankful for the shield the wall provided.

"Do I look like I know?" Elec Man responded, another blast nearly hitting them.

"What are we going to do?!"

"You do nothing." Elec Man said, stepping out in the open. He sent out surges of electricity that fought against the purple ones. At first, the violet seemed to retreat from the waves of golden, though one managed to sneak in a lucky blow, striking the Robot Master in the chest.

"Elec!" Bomb Man hollered, rushing over.

He didn't respond at first, eyes glazed over, as if he was in some sort of trance-like state. Then, he came to his senses, rising up and looking at the screen. "Someone's there" he said Bomb Man confused. "Someone's there. A woman. This…this is her doing.

"Huh?"

Elec didn't answer, going back to using his electricity. The surges of purple fought him, but he kept at it, going closer and closer. Finally, he saw the screen, and a scene taking place. He shocked the screen, and it exploded, sending him flying back, surges of purple coating him. Bomb Man rushed to him, hoisting him up. Elec Man sat, unable to say much, seemingly overcome with bliss. He then shook himself out of it, seeing the destroyed monitor.

 **Now**

"How do we know you're just not telling us this?" Roll asked, Elec clearly growing annoyed with her constant prattle.

"Your brother is in potential danger, so unless you want to see him again, you'll do as we say." He told her. "Unless, you WANT him to remain trapped in whatever limbo he's currently residing in."

Dr Light was silent for a good while before a weary sigh broke it. He didn't like it, but at the moment, he was willing to try anything. He had no other choice. He opened the door to their home, allowing them to enter.

But before the electricity wielding robot could enter, Roll asked "Why are you doing this?"

Elec Man remained quiet for a moment, and while it was faint, she heard it. "Dweeb's not the only one that's trapped with her."

 **Deserted Chateau**

"Now…isn't this much better?" she crooned, lovingly stroking his cheek, the azure machine shuddering at her touch.

The scent that he never had completely robbed him of his senses and cares, along with her presence and all the gorgeousness that came with it. For him, in this moment in time, and perhaps forever, there was nothing, no one in the entire universe that mattered more. For him, there was only Morrigan. "Yesss…" Mega Man moaned, his eyes rolling upwards as her silky-smooth hands ran across his chest.

"So much better than all that fighting we were doing before, yes?" the winged resident of Makai drew closer to him. "So much better than all the other fighting you've been doing. All those battles…such a strong, handsome, noble warrior." Her lips were mere inches from his neck. "If there is one more deserving of my love than anyone else, it is you."

Such a thing was impossible, yet he could not care less. A wave of heat came to him, his cheeks lit afire. "Th-Thank you…"

"Yes…" Morrigan whispered. "Belonging to me is far from a bad thing. In fact, as my toy, I shall treat you with utmost care." She delivered a long, sensual lick down the side of his neck. "In fact, I shall do that for all of you. All of you shall be my playthings. And as you're technically not mortal, you won't break. You won't tire, you won't grow old and weary." She adjusted herself so she was atop of him. "You shall belong to me, forever."

Mega Man sighed in contentment; his resolve completely gone. "Mistress…" he sleepily got out. "Take me. P-Please. Take…all…of me."

Morrigan curled her lips. "As you wish, darling." Lowering herself, her lips were only separated from his by mere centimeters. Already, she could feel the energy pulsating through him. Powerful stuff. And she didn't even need it! She barely needed energy from humans anyway, not enough to kill, yet with this one, there was no need to limit herself!

And to think, all of this was thanks to the efforts of that stupid old coot and his-

BZZT!

Hm? Something…changed. She couldn't see any sort of change in the environment around her, yet there was no mistaking it. Some of the abundant energy surrounding her…lessened.

BZZT!

His eyes fluttered, the glaze that had been upon them steadily disintegrating. "What?" he heard her say. Yes…her. She had…

"Rush!" Mega Man cried out, rising from the bed of roses, of which seemed to crumble beneath them both.

"What is this?!" Morrigan shouted, the Blue Bomber clumsily, yet eventually managing to get to his feet.

"Rush…" he repeated. "And…and Proto…" he violently shook his head and slammed it on the ground, the pounding sensations bringing him back to reality with each blow.

"What's happened?!" he heard the winged woman shout, lifting himself from the ground yet again. He was far from steady, yet at least the haze that had formerly enraptured him was mostly gone.

"Guess you're running a little low?" Mega Man wheezed out, holding out his buster at her.

Morrigan furrowed her brows, clearly enraged by this unforeseen development. Something was going on outside, directly affecting her energy sources.

 **Light's Lab**

"IT'S GONNA BLOW!"

Seizing ahold of the doctor and ducking out of the way, Elec Man continued pouring waves and waves of his power at the machine, several cracks being produced in its surface, the entire room bathed in even more light.

Just a little more. Just a little more pressure, and perhaps they'd finally-

BOOM!

And ear-splitting crack echoed throughout the room, Dr. Light's hearing nearly being lost upon it ringing out. From their places, everyone was sent back, Elec Man especially, the Robot Master quite literally being launched against the wall, crashing into an operation table and taking several tools out with him.

"Elec!" Bomb Man cried out, rushing to the other robot, of whom was motionless on the floor. "Elec! Speak up, man! Say something!"

"…get off me, you fool." The explosive wielding robot saw he was placing his full weight on the other machine's leg.

"Eh, sorry."

Roll and Dr. Light lifted themselves up from their hiding places (Eddy having seen to stuffing himself in the supply closet) to view the damage. Well…the monitor would need replacing. And Roll had a heck of a job getting the singe marks out of the floor and walls. Still…at least the device was rendered to little more than burn pieces of scrap.

"She…" Elec Man began, voice strained from such a massive energy use. "She's growing weaker. Her power supply is now halved." There was still quite a bit that no one really understood about any of this, but the closer they were to a solution, the better. In the end, that was all that mattered.

"Well, where'd the next source be?" Roll questioned. "By the way, that's NOT any indication I don't think you guys are up to anything shifty."

"Think what you will. It matters not to me." Elec Man huffed. "But the next destination would best be Wily's van. Or rather, the mobile version of the device."

"But what about the one aboard the ship?" the blonde, female android questioned, the lab in turn growing quiet.

"…that will just have to come later."

 **Deserted Chateau**

"SOUL FIST!" the energy bat flew in Mega's direction, he in turn rolling out of the way and delivering one of his own. Morrigan spread her wings and flew upward, aiming directly for the blue android with the sole of her boot.

It was then, though, that she found herself somewhat short of breath. What in the world was happening?!

"What's the matter?" Mega Man questioned. "You look a little tired." He observed. "Or maybe you're realizing that you've gotten in over your head?"

Despite herself, she still forced a smile to her face. "A little early to be celebrating victory, isn't it?" Morrigan chuckled. "Then again, confident men are usually my favorite."

"I won't belong to you." The blue robot plainly said, his voice bordering on a growl. "Nor will anyone else you've trapped here."

"And noble." She licked her lips.

She lunged forward, the two delivering and dodging blows from the other, yet she couldn't deny that yes, she felt the energy from this place slipping. As well as her strength. Perhaps she had put too much into this place and the strange energy that the old man had generated. Yet she couldn't stop now. She WOULDN'T stop now. Not now! Maximoff had yet to force a plea from her, and this blue, wound up toy wouldn't be the first!

Still…she had to finish this soon. And maybe not break him too badly. If not the others, then now, she surely wanted him, if not simply to cement her accomplishment this night.

 **Note: Just a couple more chapters I hope, as the song lyrics are almost out. That said, so sorry for the wait, and hope you enjoy!**


	10. The Way You Did Once

**Note: 2** **nd** **to last chapter here. Only one more to go.**

 **Chapter 10: The Way You Did Once**

 **Mega Man and Darkstalkers © of Capcom**

The bladed edge of her black wing shot upward, just barely scrapping his pectorals. This sent him reeling back, yet at least he had the sense to draw out his buster and fire at her. She countered with a 'Soul Fist' of her own, the distance thankfully being far enough to where they wouldn't be knocked back. It seemed that this had been going on for ages, neither of them getting ahead of the other.

Still, just a sight in the distance at one of the figures tied to the columns was enough of a motivation for Mega Man to keep going. And the potential of acquiring a 'prize' or some form of dominance over him was enough for her.

Despite these factors, both were growing quite impatient with the other. Blast after blast, punch, kick, wing slash or whatever strange movement she made with her wings, neither of them would yield.

Not until the they obtained what they sought.

Morrigan snarled, daring not show it openly, yet she was becoming nervous. She could feel the energy radiating throughout this place slipping away, as well as her harnessing of it. Surely this 'Mega Man' had forces on the outside working for him, yet another strike against her. And should this energy be robbed from her entirely…

She had to do something. It'd take a good amount of her strength (and however much excessive energy this place provided), yet it seemed to be a good enough tactic despite the outcome. After all, what else was there that could've placated him?

He began to draw closer, his blue eyes centered solely on her. Excellent. He sensed that when she rose her fingers to her lips, that she was trying something, yet by the time he recognized the motion, it was too late, the heart shaped beam that came forward hitting him right in the center of his face.

 **Unspecified Location**

What to do, what to do, what to do!? It began to set in that his creation was trapped with whatever this mysterious force was. His work, his means to finally gain an upper hand, it was all gone!

And it was that blasted Blue Bomber's fault! Had he just not gotten wind of everything; his plan would've worked without a hitch! Not to mention, those blasted buckets of useless chips were just as responsible for that stupid android catching up on him in the first place! If they hadn't just-

"There he is!"

The balding scientist looked from the ground to a group of familiar figures approaching him, two of which were ones he'd never expect to see amongst the others.

"You!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. "You DARE bring them here!" he gestured to Roll and Dr. Light. "Have your logical components gone haywire?!"

"In any other circumstance, this would've been far from me, Professor." Elec Man stated, folding his arms. Despite the man's current registering as his 'master' in his CPU (despite a piece of him regarding the other man in some sense of reverence), the Robot Master held no time, let alone any patience for Wily's tantrums. "Yet at the moment, surely you can see there are far more pressing matters at hand."

"Yeah, Doc!" Bomb Man interjected. "These two are probably the only way that we might be able to stop this thing!"

Roll huffed. "Not that you're in any way deserving of it."

Dr. Light approached Wily. "Albert-"

"Oh, first names now, is it?"

Light stiffened. "Albert, surely you can see that this is far greater than what either of us expected. Our own replica experienced the same symptoms-"

"Symptoms?" Wily interrupted. "Replica? Oh, Thomas, truly, you ARE one to take all the credit- "

"Look, old man!" the blonde housekeeper interrupted, stepping close to the other older man. "You've sent us running around throughout the entirety of today, got my brother caught up in this Dream Machine or whatever it is you call it, and if we can't get him back because of it, so help me-"

"Roll!" Light came forward, pushing her back. "Albert, think of it. There's nothing to be lost on either side of this. It's quite clear that we're all in the same predicament and have lost something. You, those under you and Proto Man, us, Mega Man." He continued on. "And this force, whatever it is that is causing all this, isn't going to stop unless we put a stop to it. Without your cooperation, then we will never be able to bring them back!"

Wily simply looked on at them all, a small smirk coming to him. "I can afford to lose just three robots." He stated casually. A small pang came to him at the prospect of Proto Man being lost…yet he pushed it aside. "Especially if it means getting rid of blue boy for good."

"You…you complete and utter-" Roll began to roar, yet she was cut off when two figures rushed past them all, heading right into the van.

"Elec Man?! Bomb Man?!" Wily shouted, completely flabbergasted. "What do you think you're-"

The two didn't answer, simply shutting the door, disappearing into the encompassing, violet light.

 **Deserted Chateau**

"Agh!" he stumbled over, nearly falling to his knees. "N-No!"

She smiled. Finally, after some time, it seemed things were once again going in her favor. "Yes." She replied, making her way up to the Blue Bomber. Already, his eyes were dulling and glazing over, his fingers digging into the ground as he tried to keep himself mentally aware.

"N-No…" Mega Man moaned. "I…I can't…not again…" he felt a sudden weight come upon his back, the succubus resting her boot on his back.

"You're beginning to make me angry." She snarled, clearly quite done with playing. "I offered you the opportunity, and yet you CONTINUE to make things more and more difficult for yourself." She pressed down harder.

"I…" Mega Man strained, struggling to get up, her weight suddenly feeling akin to that of an iron cannonball. "I won't….you…you won't have me. You won't have…any of us…"

"Blue Boy, I've HAD you." Morrigan scoffed. "I've ALWAYS had you. You just refuse to admit it."

He strained for words, unable to come up with any. To his shame and fear, he felt himself slipping away. But…but he couldn't! His dog…his brother…even the others…

It was then, that just like that, the wave of haze was removed from him, along with everything else.

Morrigan whirled her head around, eyes widening as the world she had created crumbled before her. The energy from this place that she had been using was dissipating, the stones beneath her feet crumbling away, the skies darkening even more than they already were, the fountain sinking into a massive, blackened maw. All seemed to be sucked into a massive, blackened void. Her four prisoners were removed from their bonds, the pillars dissipating, all four of them falling to the 'ground'. In her shock, she didn't even realize that a blast was coming her way, striking her in the abdomen and sending her back, flipping over in the air before she landed in a heap on the floor. From her place, she lifted her head up to see her blue aggressor, of whom was pointing his smoking buster right at her.

"I think now, I have YOU."

Morrigan staggered to her feet, snarling. Spreading her wings, she flew upward, her own wings forming into mechanized versions of themselves, a blast of her own developing, Mega Man in turn aiming at her.

"SOUL FIST!"

 **Space Station**

Finally, the light had died down, allowing the crew to approach.

"Any significant damage?" one amongst them questioned. Since the device began to glow brighter and brighter, surges of energy resembling electricity forced them all to retreat from the front deck.

Another one of the astronauts looked, seeing parts of the control panel singed, yet for the most part, it was intact and from the looks of it, functioning how it was supposed to.

Now, there was only one thing to do. One thing that should've been done a long time ago.

Rushing forward, the man lifted the device and raised it high, his intentions clear as well as the machine's fate.

 **Void**

The routine from before continued on and on. A blast there, a swipe of a sharpened wing there, and a countered kick or punch to the other. Only now, it was clear that one of the two was at the disadvantage. They momentarily separated from each other, Morrigan breathing heavily whilst Mega Man had no need to do so.

"Your tricks won't do you any good now." The Blue Bomber stated. "And from the looks of it, you're just about spent."

"Sh-Shut up." Morrigan snarled. "Shut up!" she extended her fist again, firing another energy created bat, Mega doing so in turn. The two collided with one another and blew the other back. A cloud of dust was created, the winged woman unable to see the blue robot in the cloud.

Yet she was able to see the newly released energy coming right for her. Bringing her wings up, she blocked the blow, only to feel a leg knock her off her feet, and a fist meet her face when her defenses were temporarily broken. A kick to her side, and several blasts sent upon her, meeting various places on her body. She attempted to get up, yet a foot planted itself firmly on her abdomen, the blue robot looking down on her, buster pointed right at her chest.

"I think it's fair to say that this won't go well for you." He now was the one snarling. "Not now anyway."

"Cu-Curse you…" Morrigan choked out, her body wracked with pain. Even more so when he forced his weight down on her.

"Admit it, you've lost." The Blue Bomber told her, not daring to let her up. "Let us go."

"And…" she strained. "And what if I don't?" his foot came down harder.

"I don't think you're in any position to bargain." He told her coldly, having long since grown tired of her. "Let. Us. Go." With each word, he increased the pressure he was placing on her.

Morrigan looked up with nothing short of absolute distain for the android, and yet…she found herself stuck. The energy that had permeated this place was gone. And, while she despised to admit it, she was out of time. 'He' would surely notice her absence by now. And even if he didn't, he'd notice it soon.

And frankly, whilst she held no fear of 'him', the less lectures she could afford to have, the better.

Thus, begrudgingly, she uttered, "…fine."

"I don't believe I heard that." Mega Man stated, a low growl coming from her.

"Fine." She repeated louder. "You…" he increased the pressure again. "And your…'friends' have lost my interest. Frankly, you're no fun anymore."

"Then release us."

It was then that she gave a small giggle, strained as it was. "Y'know…you should be honored." She stated. "You're one of the few that's given me quite a workout."

"I'd hate to disappoint." Mega Man told her.

"But…don't think that this is over." The world around them began to disappear, the sensation of this world beginning to 'slip' away. "If anything, you've just made yourself one of my resolutions." Before he could ask, more and more, he felt the waking world, the 'real' world, coming more and more to him. "Maybe I'll see you soon, maybe later. Until then…" she waved. "Dream a little dream of me, would you?"

 **Cave**

The sensation of meeting the hardened, rocky floor came to him, alerting him that the environment had once again changed. Yet the sight of the Doc and Roll…wait a minute. Doc and Roll? What were they…

"Mega!" the blonde android cried out, wasting no time in wrapping herself around the blue armored robot, keeping him from getting up.

The other four dragged out with them steadily began to regain consciousness, coming back and realizing that the garden of briars and thorns, as well as their bindings, were no longer there. Cut and Guts Man rose up, looking to one another. Guts Man followed similarly to Roll and brought the scissor-headed Robot Master close in a bear hug, nearly crushing the other, yet he couldn't deny it was far preferable to that of that woman's hold. At least his hold was confirmation that they were out, that they were free.

Proto Man rose, Rush having made his way to his 'master' and planting a series of wet 'kisses' on his cheek, his sister not making things even better by holding him in place. He found himself unable to look at the scene for long, even if he couldn't cease the sense of longing.

"You…you nincompoops!" the sound of Wily's voice brought everyone out of their reprieve from the madness, their collective attention on the smoking van with Elec and Bomb Man standing outside of it. "You…you've ruined it! You've ruined everything!"

Elec Man sighed. "Professor, if I may," he began, frankly, baffled he even had to do so in the first place. "It's over."

Wily shot daggers at Elec Man. "Care to repeat that?!"

"This blue interloper was quite ready to put an end to it all as it is." The Robot Master gestured to Mega Man. "And even before the…'glitch' occurred," it was clear that he wasn't entirely sure of what he was even saying. "Your plans would've been for naught."

"How…how DARE you-"

"Dr. Wily…" Guts Man suddenly spoke up, still holding Cut Man. "We…I wanna go home."

Wily was practically frothing at the mouth, looking from side to side, only to find no support in the slightest. "I…no. No! I…I order you! I order you all to…" despite himself, he found himself unable to come up with anything. It was over. It was all over.

"Doc," Proto Man suddenly spoke up. "There's nothing left. Do yourself and everyone else a favor."

The aged human growled some more, yet ultimately, lowered his hands downward, looking to the ground. He hated to admit it. Despised to admit it. But…it was true.

It was over.

"…fine." He went and opened the door. "Get in." it was then that he remembered the Blue Bomber.

"Frankly, I think we've both done enough." Mega Man answered. "As far as I'm concerned, everything is as it should be."

Wily released a heavy sigh, hating to admit that the blue dweeb had a point. Guts and Cut Man entered, then Proto, of whom bestowed upon Mega a small smile. "Thanks."

Mega was taken aback by this, but before he could respond, the robot made his way inside. Bomb and Elec Man followed suit, though the latter felt a hand seize him by the wrist. Turning, he saw the blonde housekeeper had been the one to do so. "I can't believe I'm saying this, especially to you, but…" she momentarily shifted her gaze away. "Thanks."

Elec Man merely tilted his head slightly, then wrangled her hand off him. "I didn't do it for you." He simply told her before entering the van.

Starting up, the vehicle sped away, leaving Light, Mega, Roll, and Rush alone in the cave, yet for the blue robot, their distance from home was of little consequence. If anything, he was here, in the real world.

It was over.

The dream was over.

 **Note: One more part, mainly to wrap things up (and finish the song lyrics), but thanks for sticking with me so far!**


	11. Upon a Dream

**Note: Wow, I actually got something done before the year's end! This has been a fun little thing to do, a little strange, yet I'm glad I did it. Perhaps I could toy with doing a comic or something with it, yet that'll just have to be seen in the future.**

 **Thanks for your viewing!**

 **Chapter 11: Upon a Dream**

"All right," Dr. Light stated, viewing the monitor's readings. "Everything appears to be functioning as it should."

Mega Man gave a sigh of relief, rising off the examination table. "Good to know." He took a moment to stretch his form before hoping up off the table. "Last thing I need is something else going loopy."

"Speaking of," Roll interjected. "What exactly happened in there?"

"Like I said, I still don't entirely get it." the Blue Bomber stated, placing his palm to the center of his helmet. "She called herself Morrigan, said she was all this stuff, and we essentially beat each other until she gave up." He noticed his sister giving him a look. "No, nothing about it was pleasurable."

"That's a lie." The blonde chuckled, much to her sibling's dismay.

The azure android then looked to Rush, whom had been mostly quiet since their 'release' from the world they were previously trapped in. Going over and giving him a small pet on the head, Mega then turned to the bearded scientist. "Is there no trace of anything? None at all?"

He had expected Light to shake his head. Yet it seemed that the old man was at a loss. "Well…about that," both Mega and Roll were taken aback by this sense of unease that came over their creator. "The Dream Transmitter, at least what we managed to salvage, has had no display of any hiccups or glitches." He paused for a moment. "Don't worry, I have NO intention of making use of it. Such a thing is a grave abuse of power." He continued. "However…the source of what you've…described, Mega Man, before now, I would've declared impossible. Yet…"

"Yet what?" Mega questioned.

"The interference appears to have come from an external force. Outside of the machine."

"Well…couldn't it have been Wily?" Roll asked.

"…it's a possibility that he was simply playing along." Light acknowledged. "Yet still…"

Despite the ordeal being over, there still hung a veil of dread over the entirety of the lab, let alone over the very word 'dream'. Mega Man gave Rush another pat, his blue eyes traveling over the monitor, the components of his CPU displayed on the screen, reading as functional.

Functional…and conscious.

Sleep mode was not going to come to him easily, he suspected, for some time.

 **Realm of Makai**

Despite the aches and pains that plagued her body, she still attempted to keep her steps as quiet as possible. The small 'clicks' of her heeled boots echoed throughout the winding stairwell as she methodically made her way up. Blasted machine did a number on her, there was no denying that. Yet it was only now that she was forced to admit that she severely underestimated the damage he had done. She wasn't going to just sleep this one off.

"Mistress!" a low hiss came from above her, she going a bit further up the stairwell to see a tall, broad shouldered, blue skinned humanoid that bore the face of a corpse, he garbed in the attire of a butler. "There you are!" despite his relief upon seeing her, his elation died the moment he saw just what sort of state she was in. "Oh…oh goodness, what happened?"

Morrigan coughed a bit, her chest aching. "Let's just say…" she moaned, reaching the top and practically collapsing into the servant's arms. "Mechanical men can play a little rougher than normal men."

The blue skinned butler rose a brow (or where one should've existed). "I…don't entirely understand."

The succubus merely sighed. "Just…get my nightwear laid out. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need to get to bed."

…

It took her some time to calm him down from the number of bruises laid upon her, if not just to keep her father from rousing from his own sleep, yet the small moans and sharp inhales she emitted certainly didn't help matters either. Yet eventually, she managed to get her rose-pink nightgown on, her bed awaiting her, lined with fat, fertile roses of hot pink.

Something that she would've normally welcomed, but now, it only brought rather unsavory, recent memories.

"Comfortable, mistress?" her servant questioned, Morrigan in turn sighing.

"As much as I can be, given the circumstances." The blue skinned butler then grew silent, she sensing what he was wishing to say. "How is the Master's current condition?"

"He is…stable." He told her. "Though…"

"Though what?"

"I will say this, milady, perhaps it would be wise for you to begin making…preparations."

The woman was silent, bringing her arms to hug herself, as if trying to get warm. "He…he will be fine." She answered. "The Master…father has ruled this section of Makai for thousands of years. There's no reason that his reign should end so abruptly now."

Her servant sighed. "If you say so." He began to make his way to the exit of her bedchambers. "I bid you a good rest, Mistress."

"…thank you. Goodnight."

With that, she was left alone, she making her way to her bed and easing her way on it, wincing as she adjusted her position until she found one that made her experience the least amount of pain.

'Cursed robot.' She hissed to herself. 'Old man interrupts MY night, and then that blue…' she was so frustrated, she couldn't even form coherent thoughts. That blasted Mega Man had not only destroyed her good time, something that could've been forgiven if he simply let her show him his place, yet to stomp and crush her pride…ooh, that couldn't simply be forgotten!

Still…despite herself, Morrigan had to admit that she was taken aback by the existence of things such as him. Humans had advanced more than what she had given them credit for. Not as much as her kind, of course, yet lower lifeforms such as they were full of surprises. And from what she had seen, the blue boy was far from the only one in existence. Such things required further…examination.

She'd head out again once she healed up, which, given her species, would probably take only a day or two. Then…then she'd head out and see more of what these metallic beings had to offer. And who was to say it would stop there? Maybe she'd engage with some of them…maybe she'd pay a visit and see what that balding old man was up to.

And maybe, just maybe, she'd pay that blue robot a little visit in the future.

A visit that, in one way or another, she would emerge victorious in.

 **Note: The end! I believe that Morrigan's servant has a name, yet searching for it hasn't turned up anything.**

 **That said, here's hoping that you all enjoyed this strange little entry of mine.**


End file.
